So Few and Far Between
by myula
Summary: Aizen returns defeated from the war and attacks all of Orihime's friends- possibly killing them. But with the help of a new friend, Orihime tries to find and save Ichigo and her friends and escape. What will Ulquiorra do to keep her there forever?
1. Introduction

I do not own Bleach, Mr. Tite Kubo does- this applies to the rest of the chapters as well. If I did own Bleach, Ulquiorra would have been brought back by now. (Seriously, when is this gonna happen?) Haha, I hope you enjoy. Feedback is wonderful and much appreciated.

**Introduction**

_Soul Society had managed to seal Aizen and his minions in Hueco Mundo shortly after the Winter War. Aizen returned to Las Noches defeated but not deterred. He had been planning his next attack for a while now. Ulquiorra took the time every now and then to ponder upon the events that took place after Aizen returned… _

Originally, he had been ordered to take care of Orihime when she had first arrived in Las Noches. When Aizen left for Karakura Town with Tosen and Ichimaru, he had been put in charge of Las Noches. He and Ichigo had been in the middle of their fight, when a battle-torn Aizen returned with his remaining arrancars. Aizen, in a pure blind rage, killed every single one of the orange-haired girl's friends. It was an action taken so swiftly by Aizen, that even the green-eyed Espada was shocked.

Orihime did not actually witness all of her friends' deaths, but she felt every single one of their flickering souls disappear in a flash. Worst of all, the only friend's death she did witness, happened to be the one man she had sworn to love for five lifetimes. Her grey eyes widened with shock and everything around her seemed frozen for a moment. It was as if her mind stopped to take a mental picture of that horrifying moment. It was a picture she would forever kept in her mind, and revisit often when she was feeling particularly down and dark with the heavy weight of guilt.

Ulquiorra remembered the woman's reaction when her beloved prince had been slaughtered by Aizen. He had been determined to kill Ichigo himself, but the fact that Aizen took that pleasure away from him did not faze him in the least. All the resolve he felt to end the shinigami's life disappeared immediately the moment Aizen killed Ichigo- instead, the only thing he could see was Orihime.

She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Her legs became rubber, and she fell to her knees… and then completely onto the floor. Slowly, she pulled herself up into a crouching position. She stared at her love's dead body. Her body began to shake… violently like the body of a hypothermia victim's would.

Orihime finally let out a growling screech of emotion. Ulquiorra had no other description for it. Even he had never heard a hollow make such a sound. Suddenly, she got up and began to run, running towards…well, Ulquiorra hadn't been quite sure what her intentions had been. Perhaps she was running toward her dead prince's body, but Ulquiorra had been sure at the time that she was probably in such a state of foolish emotion that she might have even been trying to attack Aizen.

Before Orihime could even take three steps, Ulquiorra had used his sonido to stop her. He held her back from getting to Ichigo, but also from putting herself in further harm. Aizen had already spared her amongst all her friends.

Orihime had screamed her love's name in-between her sobs over and over again. Her eyes were watering, with what Ulquiorra supposed were tears (as humans called them), except there was so much coming out of her eyes at once that he wondered if it were some other human physical phenomenon. She didn't stop screaming his name. Easily, Ulquiorra picked her up and used his sonido to take her back to her room.

He left her a crying ball in the middle of her room on the rug and immediately took a few steps back from her, as if he were afraid of her. She was shaking, crying, screaming, and Ulquiorra could only stand and watch. His face was emotionless, his hands in his pockets. He had watched her cry until it seemed she was having difficulty breathing. He did not say anything.

Eventually he left her there. Luckily, the walls and door of her room had been restored to their original state, and Ulquiorra left locking the door behind him.

Ulquiorra returned quickly using his sonido to where Aizen had slain Ichigo. The only person left was Gin Ichimaru, who stood over Ichigo's body examining it with his hands crossed and resting inside his sleeves.

"I wouldn't bother Aizen right now if I were you," Gin said slowly with a slow smile.

Ulquiorra gave no response.

"Things didn't go exactly as planned," Gin explained as if Ulquiorra had inquired as to what had happened. Gin gave a deep sigh.

"My, my, my…what a mess. You guys sure tore this place up. Looks like it was a lot of fun. I'm sorry we interrupted you." Gin commented as he wandered around the room, surveying the damage. Ulquiorra frowned slighting, his green eyes darting across the room looking for something. Where was that damn orange-haired shinigami?

"Oh, crazy ol' Szayel took him," Gin said grinning. There was a long silence. Ulquiorra had decided he didn't need to be conversing with this irritating man. His mind was on other…things.

"I guess we'll have to clean this all up, huh?" Gin continued as if he and Ulquiorra were carrying on a steady conversation. His voice contained a sing-songy tone that made his comments sound light and meaningless, as if they were discussing the weather. Gin looked over to the fourth Espada to examine his reaction. _Well, no reaction- as usual. What a poker face_, Gin thought.

"If that is what Aizen-sama wants me to do, I will do it. I exist only to serve Aizen-sama." Ulquiorra responded.

"You're using your serious face! I don't like it when you look at me like that!" Gin teased, "…Anyways, I suspect there's someone else you now serve instead…"

Ulquiorra's reaction is so subtle, if you didn't know to look for it you wouldn't have seen his lips purse for split second. Before Gin could say anything else, the fourth Espada was gone.

"We really did miss all the fun…" Gin said to himself with a deep sigh.


	2. Chapter 1: Ivory Lines

**Chapter 1: Ivory Lines**

"_Your __**heart**__ is a river that flows from your chest_

_Through every organ._

_Your brain is the dam_

_And I am the fish who can't reach the core._

_Ivory lines lead…_

_Oo wha-ho, oo wha-ho_

_Oh, **instincts are misleading**_

_**You shouldn't think what you're feeling**_

**_They don't tell you what you know you should _**_**want**__."_

_**-lightness by death cab for cutie**  
_

Ulquiorra did not see the woman as often as he would have liked to, there was much to do now that Aizen was back and plotting again. Aizen kept Ulquiorra very busy at first, telling him to do this and asking him to do that. "Oh and one more thing Ulquiorra…." He would say, or "And when you're done with that, don't forget to do this."

Aizen did not mention Orihime at all for the first few days. It was as if she didn't exist. For Ulquiorra though, she did exist- and he was painfully conscious of it. Whenever he thought about the woman with orange hair, he felt his chest tightening. He felt mentally strained when he thought about her. He had left her in such a state. The woman had clearly been upset, and Ulquiorra kept wondering how she was doing. Was anyone feeding her? Did anyone get her a change of clothes? The last time he left her, her gown had been all torn up by Loly and Menoly. Was she even alive?

"Oh…and Ulquiorra?" Aizen said.

"Yes?" Ulquiorra replied, as he turned around. He had been on his way out of the room to complete his next task that Aizen had just asked him to do.

"Why don't you check on Orihime after you're done with that?" Aizen said softly, a ghost of a smile appearing on the man's lips for the first time since he had gotten back to Las Noches.

"Of course," Ulquiorra said, his skin suddenly feeling itchy and tense.

To say that Ulquiorra had rushed through his work might have been an exaggeration; the fourth Espada completed his tasks in an orderly and efficient manner- as he had always done. She was on his mind though, and he couldn't seem to stop thinking about her. It was imperative that he see her.

"Woman, I am coming in." He said before unlocking the door and stepping inside. The room was dark, with blue shadows casted by the moonlight. He stood by the door and saw that she had moved from where he had left her on the rug to the couch. Her body was oddly placed though, the top half of her torso resting on the seat of the couch, and the bottom half of her body hanging off the side, limply. Ulquiorra remained by the door.

"Woman, stand up." He commanded, "Aizen-sama wants to see that you are well."

Nothing. She didn't move an inch. "Woman, did you not hear me?" Ulquiorra said, using a louder and firmer voice. Why wasn't she getting up? He walked over to her until he was standing only a few of feet away from her.

"Woman, get up. NOW!" He demanded. He still got no response from her. With his hands in his pockets, Ulquiorra tilted his head to the side trying to see if the woman was breathing or not.

"Woman!" He yelled, finally lifting his foot and kicking her- though not very hard. He had just wanted to get her to stand up, but instead, her limp body fell to the floor. Ulquiorra's eyes widen slightly.

"Woman?" He said, in a quieter voice. He kneeled down next to her body and turned her over, examining her face. He pulled her torso onto his lap, holding her in one arm, and gently patting her cheek with his other hand. "Woman, can you hear me?"

Her face was dirtied from all the dust and dirt of being near where two very powerful men had been fighting. Her tears had dried on her face, causing streaks of wet dirt that dried and hardened on her face like caked mud. Her lips were dried and cracked. Her eyes were closed, golden lashes crusted with dried salty tears and more dirt. Her hair was oily and dirty from being unwashed and hung limply in clumps around her face. She was pale. The woman had always been fair-skinned, but her skin looked more like his skin, an ashen white. Her gown was as torn up and destroyed as it had been when he had left her here several days ago. He looked at the stained bottom half of her dress and he frowned. The woman had not been able to go to the bathroom and did not have any change of clothes. It seemed she had urinated on herself, though the smell did not bother Ulquiorra. He was hollow, and he had smelled much worse.

She was breathing though, barely, but still he could hear the faintest of her rasping breath. He listened closely and it actually sounded like the kind of breathing Humans get when there is too much mucus or some kind of liquid of the sort in the lungs. Her heartbeat was faint as well, but it was there. His cold fingers brushed the side of her neck and felt the slow beating. But, what told Ulquiorra that she was definitely still alive, was the fact that her skin was burning hot. Her forehead was damp with a fever. He frowned as he brushed her dirty cheek with the back of his hand, feeling how warm she was. The woman was very ill.

"Orihime?" He finally said, so quietly that even a mouse wouldn't have been scared. Her eyelashes fluttered for a second before her eyes slowly opened, albeit only a crack. Even through her golden eyelashes, he could see her grey eyes flickering slowly back and forth, registering his image. She let out a slow and longer breath, crackled with the sounds of phlegm. She was trying to say something, but could not form the words.

"Stay here, I'll be right back." He said, although he immediately got annoyed with himself for the first part of his statement. Where was the woman going to go? She couldn't even move a limb. He picked her up and laid her down on the couch before heading out of the room.

When Ulquiorra returned, he had a basin of soapy water and a wash cloth with him. The water was a little too warm, but Ulquiorra had gotten impatient. He came into the room, leaving the door opened a crack, and walked over to where Orihime laid on the couch. He set the basin of water down on the ground, and kneeled next to the couch.

"I've ordered for some food to be made for you. It will be here shortly." He said. "I've also brought a change of clothes." She gave no response. She laid on her back, her eyes closed and her breathing shallow.

Ulquiorra set the white, clean, and neatly folded gown down next to the couch. Kneeling there, Ulquiorra watched the woman. What should he do next? He looked at the basin of water and then looked at Orihime, and then looked at the basin of water again. With a deep sigh, he sat back on his legs and stuffed his hands into his pockets. What did Aizen mean when he said "check on her?" Did he mean, resume his role as caretaker of the woman? Ulquiorra pursed his lips, if Aizen asked for him to check on her, he must not want her dead. Thus, Aizen must want her alive…and to keep her alive…he must…Ulquiorra let out another deep sigh.

He picked up the washcloth and dumped it in the water basin, before wringing it of excess water. Slowly, he approached the woman. He lifted his hand holding the wash cloth up to her face, but paused when his hand hovered above her cheek. Why did he suddenly feel so awkward right now? Another deep sigh.

"Aizen-sama wants you to live. So, you must live." He said, as he slowly but gently brushed the damp wash cloth across her cheek. He was trying so hard to be careful, the human was so delicate. He was afraid he'd hurt her even more if he pressed any harder.

"We shall see how your fever does after you have some food and water and rest." He said, conversationally as he continued to wash her face. Periodically, he took the drenched the wash cloth in the basin of warm water, wrung the wash cloth, and then continued washing her. The water was growing brown with dirt and small bits of dried red blood floating in it.

"I could not find clean boots, but I will bring them for you later." He kept talking. What was it about her that made words come out of his mouth without he even realizing it? He normally wasn't a talkative man. Whenever he was around her, it seemed he always felt he had something to say. He carefully dabbled the area around her eyes with the wash cloth. She flinched, inhaling sharply. Ulquiorra immediate pulled his hand back.

"It will probably hurt for a while, but the pain should subside in a few days. You will need stitches for this wound." He mentioned as he saw the large gash near her right temple. It was crusted over with dried blood, but it would still need some extra tending. "The medic arrancars are scarce right now. You must wait until they are done tending to more important matters."

Her lips parted, as she inhaled sharply again- this time it seemed she couldn't get enough air. Ulquiorra thought he heard her say something and slowly lowered his head closer to her. She closed her lips again though and it was silent for a while. Ulquiorra's brows flinched, a momentary frown. He watched her quietly, not moving an inch. He watched her for awhile. He watched her for…god knows how long. Her face was mostly clean now. His eyes flickered over her body quickly and back up to her face.

He started to say something, but chose not to. Instead he dropped the wash cloth in the basin, and continued washing her. Although he was only using a dampened wash cloth, the couch she laid on was slowly getting wet with all the water he was using. He ran the wash cloth down the sides of her arms, picking up each hand and carefully wiping and washing the dirt and dried blood away. He even made sure to get as much of the dirt underneath her perfectly tapered fingernails. The woman was so delicate. Were all humans made this way? He had never gotten so close to a body before- at least, not without intending to do harm. Her breathing seemed more steady now. It seemed lifting her onto the couch with her head slightly inclined on the arm of the couch had helped alleviate whatever was making it difficult for her to breathe.

When he was done washing her exposed skin, her face, her neck, her ears, her arms and hands, and the tops of her shoulders, an arrancar knocked on the door.

"Enter." Ulquiorra said. The arrancar wheeled in a cart with steaming food, a water pitcher, and an empty glass. "You may leave." He said, dismissing the arrancar. Ulquiorra stood up and followed the arrancar to the door. When the arrancar left, Ulquiorra closed the door. He turned around and looked at Orihime laying on the couch, and the steaming hot food on the cart.

"You are not in any state to eat right now, are you?" Ulquiorra said, a twinge of what sounded like regret could have been heard in his voice. He approached her again, his gaze never leaving her face. It was pristine now, except for the gash on her temple. She looked pale, still, but somehow she looked more peaceful now that her face was clean. Ulquiorra frowned, and looked at the food cart, and then looked at Orihime, and then looked at the food cart again.

Ulquiorra finally approached the couch and kneeled beside her again. Quickly, his fingers moved to the top of her dress and ripped the fabric from the top of the gown to the bottom of the helm. He was surprised this didn't seem to disturb her, as she continued to lie completely still. He quickly removed the top part of her gown that he'd ripped, although it was difficult with her laying down and all. Eventually Ulquiorra just ripped whatever fabric would not come off easily.

Her top torso was completely bare. She still wore the hakama underneath her gown. He continued to clean her until all the dirt had been washed off her skin. When the water in the basin got too opaque and brown, Ulquiorra left and got fresh water and soap. When he needed to, Ulquiorra removed her hakama and cleaned here bottom half as well. He tossed the soiled and dirtied pieces of clothing away in a pile on the rug. He cleaned her with clinical care, paying close attention to bruises that seemed particularly dark and cuts that had been covered by her clothes before.

When he was done, he carefully put the clean gown on her. Again it was difficult and awkward, but as he did so Orihime gained consciousness. Her eyes opened a crack, and she looked at Ulquiorra with a strange stare. She did her best to lift her arms when he asked her to and helped him get the dress on her. When they were done, he laid her back done on the couch and she closed her eyes again. Ulquiorra stood up, quietly putting his hands in pockets and watched her fall back asleep. Ulquiorra often kept his hands in his pockets for many different reasons. Sometimes, keeping his hands in his pockets was his way of distancing himself from whatever was happening around him. Sometimes, keeping his hands in his pockets was his way of feeling relaxed. But other times, like right now, he would put his hands in his pockets because he simply did not know what to do with them. Somewhere inside, he knew that he was keeping his hands in his pockets to keep them from touching her.

"I'll be right back." Ulquiorra said, taking the dirty basin away.


	3. Chapter 2: Your Heart is an Empty Room

**Chapter 2: Your Heart is an Empty Room**

_"Burn it down till the embers smoke on the ground_

_And __**start new when your heart is an empty room**_

_With walls of the deepest blue_

_Home's face: how it ages when you're away_

_Spring blooms and you find the love that's true_

_But you don't know what now to do_

_**Cause the chase is all you know**_

_**And she stopped running months ago**_

_And all you see_

_Is where else you could be_

_When you're at home_

_Out on the street_

_Are so many possibilities_

_To not be alone_

_The flames and smoke climbed out of every window_

_And disappeared with everything that you held dear_

_And you shed not a single tear for the things that you didn't need_

_'Cause you knew you were finally free_

_'Cause all you see is where else you could be when you're at home_

_Out on the street are so many possibilities to not be alone"_

_**-your heart is an empty room by death cab for cutie **_

When Ulquiorra came back he found the door unlocked and open. Immediately he became suspicious. After all, the last time he came back to find her door open (and to find a giant gaping hole in the wall), Grimmjow had kidnapped Orihime after Loly and Menoly had attacked her. Ulquiorra stepped into the room, fully ready to attack, despite his appearance remaining calm and controlled.

"Oh!" She said, turning around and looking at Ulquiorra.

"What are you doing here, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck?" Ulquiorra asked- his question carried a tone and brevity he hadn't intended. The green-haired beauty looked over at the fourth Espada with concern in her face.

"She is very ill," Nelliel said.

"She will be fine." Ulquiorra countered, which made Nelliel frown.

"We must find a way to heal her or…" Before Nelliel could complete her sentence, Ulquiorra interrupted her.

"There are no medics available to heal her," He said sternly.

"Have you gone and looked…" She started to say, and once again he cut her off.

"They are all very busy attending to more important matters. Besides, once she gets a little better she can heal herself." He said.

"Once she gets better?" Nel raised an eyebrow, her soft feminine voice lowered. "She will hardly have the strength to eat the cold food you've left for her, let alone heal herself." Suddenly, Ulquiorra was reminded of why he would often avoid Nelliel when she was still an Espada.

"I take it from your uniform you've been accepted back by Aizen. But what is your rank now?" He asked, changing topics. Nel looked Ulquiorra straight in the eye, the resolve in her eyes never wavering.

"Five." She said. He waited a heartbeat before responding.

"I see. So you've taken Nnoitra's spot. How fitting." Ulquiorra sneered. Nelliel blinked, surprised at Ulquiorra's remark. There was a flash of hurt in Nel's eyes which made her quiet for a moment. She looked down at Orihime, and remembered Ichigo and what he meant to both of them. When she looked back Ulquiorra, it was to dismiss him.

"You can be such a child," She said closing her eyes with a soft sigh. "I will see to it that she is taken care of and treated." And with that Nelliel walked past Ulquiorra determined to find an arrancar medic for Orihime.

"Aizen-sama has entrusted her care to me." Ulquiorra snapped, although it sounded like he was only slightly annoyed. "You may be the fifth now, but I am still the fourth. Until Aizen has decreed otherwise, you will focus on your own orders." Nelliel blinked in surprise at Ulquiorra's firm tone. She stared thoughtfully at Ulquiorra for a moment; then she looked at Orihime who was sleeping and, blinking again, returned her gaze to Ulquiorra. This time when she looked at Ulquiorra, it was with delight in her eyes.

"Oh! I'm so glad Orihime had you as a friend while she was here!" Nel giggled, clasping her hands together in delight. Her voice had returned to her normal high pitched playful tone. She thought for a moment of giving Ulquiorra a hug and took a step towards him, only to stop herself. Probably not the best idea right now, she thought, given that gleam in his eyes.

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes at Nelliel, confused at her sudden change of heart. She moved so quickly from being serious to silly and back to being serious again…sometimes Ulquiorra wondered if she had some kind of personality disorder or something.

"I was hardly…" Ulquiorra began before Nel cut him off with a high pitched giggle.

"Alright, Ulquiorra," She said softly, "But you can't stop me from visiting her and making sure she's okay." And with that the green-haired beauty turned on her heel and left.

Ulquiorra let out an audible loud sigh of annoyance once she was out of the room. He turned and glanced at the sleeping Orihime. "Now I understand why that fool Nnoitra was so often annoyed with her."

The next time Nel checked on Orihime, she saw that most of the wounds had been stitched up and bandaged. The young girl was regaining a little bit of color in her cheeks and the fever had gone down. Nel hadn't been standing in the room very long before she felt Ulquiorra's presence behind her.

"She's looking better," Nel said with a soft smile.

"Indeed." Ulquiorra responded.

"Ulquiorra….sama...I was thinking…" Nel began, looking over at Ulquiorra with hope. He didn't seem to be in a particularly good mood…but then could you ever really tell?

"What is it, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck?" He asked impatiently when she didn't finish her sentence. Nel scowled at him.

"You know, you can just call me Nel," She pouted.

"What is it then, Nel? I am busy and need to move on with my day," He muttered, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he walked over closer to the couch Orihime was sleeping on. For a guy who claimed to be busy and rushed, he didn't seem too eager to leave.

"Well, I just thought it might be a good idea to move her to my house. I've got plenty of space, and it might make her feel more welcomed and safe when she wakes up. It's going to be very difficult for her, you know," Nel said.

"What will be difficult? Finding out that all her friends are dead? Finding out that all of Soul Society has left her here to die alone? Finding out that she's now sealed down here, and has no hope of ever leaving? What part will be most difficult for her, Nelliel? Because it seems to me a change of location will hardly cushion any of that," Ulquiorra scoffed.

"Well…I just thought…" She began.

"You just thought what? That moving her to your residence where she can see the sunny false blue sky and be around your ridiculously loud and annoying fraccion would make breaking the news to her that Ichigo Kurosaki is dead any easier?" He snapped. Gosh, he's been crabby lately, Nel thought to herself.

"I think she would feel more supported if she weren't in such grey, dark, and dirty place as this chamber. I think she'll be scared and heart broken when she wakes up and will need a lot of care in order to restore any of her spirit," Nel reasoned.

"How would you know how she will feel when she wakes up?" Ulquiorra said, giving Nelliel a skeptical look from the corner of his eye.

Nelliel thought of how she felt the moment she saw what Nnoitra had done to Pesche and Dondochakka, and she closed her eyes. "Because I know what it's like to see your family get harmed." Nelliel said, and turned around to leave. "I know that the guilt can be worse than the pain when you know their actions were done to protect you and that, in the end, you failed to protect them. It was just an idea, Ulquiorra. There's no need for you to be so nasty to me." Nel said, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck," Ulquiorra said firmly. She turned around and gave him a curious glance. Ulquiorra turned around from watching Orihime, his hands in his pockets as usual. "Just because we have evolved from being hollows, does not mean we are human. At the end of the day, we are only hollows and we have no families. Hollows know nothing of guilt." Nel sighed in response.

"Maybe you just haven't evolved enough then." Nelliel said simply over her shoulder as she left the room, walking away through the pristine white hallway. Ulquiorra rolled his eyes. Perhaps all that hairspray the female Espada used in her hair was starting to degenerate her brain, he thought wryly.

"Aizen-sama, there is something I must ask you about the prisoner Orihime Inuoe," Ulquiorra started, his head bowed down just slightly in respect.

"Oh yes, I haven't inquired about her yet." Aizen pointed out. His soft statement carried the heavy weight of a thousand sticks (author's reference: speak softly, and carry a big stick, haha).

Ulquiorra didn't know how to respond. There was a silence between the shinigami and the Espada.

"…"

"…"

"Well, how is she doing, Ulquiorra?" He finally said, leaning over to the side of his throne and resting his chin on his propped arm casually.

"The woman is recovering from her physical wounds quickly. Some of her wounds had become infected, causing her to have a fever that she is still recovering from." Ulquiorra reported. "It has been recommended that perhaps it might be helpful to the woman's health to move her to a different chamber. It should be safe, especially now that we know that with the seal Urahara has placed will also prevent anyone from Soul Society to come to her rescue."

"I see," Aizen began. "And who was it that made this thoughtful recommendation?"

"Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck," Ulquiorra said.

"Of course. Nelliel's really beautiful, isn't she Ulquiorra?" Aizen smiled. Ulquiorra did not respond. He failed to see what the green-haired Espada's appearance had to do with the woman's well-being. He had never particularly took any notice of Nelliel's appearance, but he certainly could not say that he thought her to be beautiful.

"I'm sure Nelliel's wise recommendation arises from her knowledge that the human woman's spirits will surely be broken when she regains consciousness. And with such a broken spirit, the human will likely wither away. We wouldn't want to lose her powers quite yet, would we Ulquiorra?" Aizen said.

"No, sir."

"I have not yet decided what to do with the woman yet, but I certainly want to preserve her powers. They are much needed now that we must reconsider our strategies." Aizen said shifting his gaze over the green-eyed Espada. "The importance of the woman must remain confidential. We wouldn't want others who would like to use the woman to their advantage to know what our plans are for her. I share this piece of knowledge with only you, Ulquiorra."

"Do whatever you see fit with the woman. I trust you, Ulquiorra- just make sure her powers stay intact. You are dismissed." Aizen said, waving a hand for Ulquiorra to leave.

As Ulquiorra left the throne room and walked down the hallway, he felt a presence behind him.

"Why are you following me, Gin?" Ulquiorra muttered turning around. The poor shinigami almost walked point blank into the Espada.

"What? Oh! I wasn't following you; I was just headed in the same direction that's all." Gin said quickly. Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes.

"Why would you be headed in this direction? The only thing in this direction are the prisoner's rooms."

"Well, I was more just going for a stroll. Hehehe," Gin gave Ulquiorra a grand smile. Ulquiorra scoffed; he didn't have time for this trash. And with that, Ulquiorra turned around and kept walking.

"Oh! But I was wondering…"

"What?"

"Well…Where are you going to put little miss Inoue?" Gin asked.

"I haven't decided yet…"

"I have an idea!" Gin said excitedly as he scrambled over to Ulquiorra's side. "I've got just the perfect place!"

When Orihime opened her eyes, she found herself staring straight into a large pair of hazel eyes framed by long thick lashes. Startled, she screamed and instantly jumped upwards, bouncing up on down on her soft bed.

"WWWwwahhh!" Orihime screamed.

"Oh good you're up!" Nel cheered in delight, her arms opened to give Orihime a nice big hug.

"N-N-Nel-…Nel-chan..err –san?" Orihime whispered weakly before Nel's jaws of her arms clamped down hard over the orange-haired girl's body.

"I'm SSSSOOOOO GLAD you're okay! I didn't know what I was going to do! At first, I wanted to steal you away and not let that crabby Ulquiorra keep you in that dingy disgusting room, but then when I found out that he actually was really worried about you too- well, that and he wouldn't really let me even Ow! Ow! Ow! get near you or be alone with you- I decided to let him take OW! Ow! N-n care of you but tried to convince him to put you in a different room, and he put you here, but I really wanted him to let you stay with me at my home. Oh, I'm so glad to see you, it will be so nice nowNel? I..ow! to have a friendly face around here!" Nel rambled on and on while squeezing Orihime extra tight.

"P-please, I need some…air," Orihime managed to beg. Nel let go of Orihime but kept her hands clutched to the human's shoulders.

"I'm so happy you're here," Nel whispered suddenly, sitting down on the side of the bed. Her eyes softened, and then began to water with tears. Orihime blinked multiple times while starring at Nel's crying face before her eyes started getting teary as well. Out of emotional pain and physical weakness, Orihime fell over onto Nel's lap. She buried her face in her arms and Nel's lap as her tears broke way to bawling sobs.

"I-I-…Ichigo," Orihime stammered as she began sobbing. The two women's cries and suffering melded into one. Both of the women understood the reason why they were crying.

There were so many things going through her mind at once, faded memories of what had happened, fuzzy images of when she had intermittently gained consciousness, the faces of her friends, Ichigo's face as he…the terrifying gleam in Aizen's eyes when he had appeared. But the image that dominated her mind was a dark figure with emerald green-eyes who had taken care of her when she was ill. These images seemed to move around in her head like circles and she felt like she had no control over them. Suddenly, the images and memories started to overpower her emotions to the point where she could no longer ignore them.

Nel was surprised when Orihime sat up on her bed and took a deep breath. Nel was still sniffling.

"Did it really happen?" Orihime asked. Nel didn't respond, she only looked at Orihime with concern in her eyes. What am I supposed to tell her? Nel thought to herself. Before Nel could come up with an answer, both women heard a third voice in the room.

"Yes, it did," Ulquiorra said. He was leaning against the doorway with his hands in his pockets and his eyes focused on Orihime. An audible soft gasp escaped Orihime's lips, her eyes glued to the green-eyed Espada. Suddenly, Nel felt very awkward. Even though it had been Ulquiorra who had disrupted their conversation, Nel now felt like she was interrupting something between THEM.

"Uh…there were some things I was going to bring you, Orihime-chan. I go get them right now!" Nel said as she hopped off the bed and walked over to the door. "I'll be back later!"

After Nel left, there was a long dead silence between them. Orihime's mind was blank- there was so much she wanted to say and ask but somehow she didn't know what it was she was even thinking. She didn't have to say anything though, Ulquiorra understood it all. Her expressive grey eyes revealed every question and feeling she didn't even know she had.

"How…" Orihime started to say but was unable to finish. Ulquiorra paused for a moment, giving the woman a chance to finish her question. When she did not, he stood up from leaning against the door and walked across the room to her. This felt so nostalgic: she full of questions and him trying to force her to confront reality.

"You've been out for almost a week and a half now. We have tried our best to tend to your illness and wounds," Ulquiorra said pausing. "Surely you must remember some of the feeding and changing of your clothes." Orihime tried to say something back to him but, not being sure of what it was she wanted to say, only ended up being able to muster a soft, "…Thank you."

Ulquiorra did not response to the gratitude. His eyes were filled with her image: the rosy colors of her cheek, the shiny hair with a color that reminded him of the sun, her perfectly upturned nose that gave her round child-like face a serene maturity.

She was in white cotton nightgown, with silly lace frills and ruffles around the short-capped sleeves. The nightgown's squared-neckline was also lined with thin strips of white lace. The cotton fabric was soft and had a billowy silk-like texture as a result of the soft cotton's high thread count. The sun trickled through the pale curtains creating a halo-like effect around Orihime's hair. She looked soft, delicate, and fragile sitting in the bed. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Ulquiorra wondered if her skin felt as warm and soft as he remembered. His eyes followed the curve of her body's lines, the roundness of her cheeks, the graceful slope of her neck, the exposed bare shoulders, and the elegant smooth arms.

Orihime began to feel a little embarrassed under the intensity of Ulquiorra's eyes. Her pink cheeks from being warm under several blankets turned to a darker red. She remembered what he had said about his eyes being able to see everything, and for some reason that thought and the intensity of his current stare made her feel uncomfortable. She couldn't look at him anymore, and decided to turn her attention to the room.

It was only then that she noticed how drastically different the room she was currently in from her previous cell. It was a moderate to small sized room, simple and plain- though the walls were painted a pale lavender. The room consisted of a bed, a dresser with a mirror, and a rug. What confounded her though as the large window across from one side of her bed. The window was framed by pale white curtains and sunlight streamed through them. The window was open just a crack, and a soft breeze could be felt coming from outside.

"Where am I?" She asked quietly, staring out the window at the blue sky.

"You are in a special quarter. You are to stay here for the remainder of your recovery. Aizen-sama would like you to have a speedy recovery. He is eager to see how your powers have grown since he last saw you demonstrate it. It was recommended that you be put here, with surroundings similar to your home in the human world, in order for you to recover more quickly." He explained. The room was a far cry from Orihime's apartment, but it certainly looked much more like a real bedroom than the previous cell she had been confined to. "Of course, we have made sure you cannot leave these quarters." Ulquiorra continued to explain as he stood in the middle of the room, several feet away from her bed. The woman didn't seem to really be listening though, her eyes were focused on the window. It seemed the sunlight seemed to have hypnotized her. Ulquiorra watched her quietly as she slowly removed her covers completely from her body and slowly moved her legs over to the side of the bed. With her hands resting on either side of her, she sat and stared out the window for a moment. The sky outside was a bright brilliant blue; small puffs of clouds floated here and there. She was drawn to the light, and tried to stand up in an attempt to walk to the window. Her legs were weak though, and they gave out as soon as she tried to stand up.

"Ah!" Orihime screeched as she felt herself lose balance. Instantly though, she was in a pair of cold and hard arms. Ulquiorra had rushed forward to catch her when he saw her falling. He now helped her stand. He stood slightly behind her, with one arm wrapped around her waist and the other supporting her arm. He knew she wanted to walk to the window. She looked up at him, his dark eyes gazing back down at her. She lowered her eyes feeling a slight embarrassment from toppling over so easily, but more so from his closeness. She had never remember ever holding on to him like this. His body was as rigid as steel, and the cold of his skin seemed to permeate to his clothing- making them cold as well. She shivered as goose bumps covered her arms and chest with the cold. Her subtle reactions, the soft gasp that escaped her lips when he caught her, the soft blush that came to her cheeks when her large doe-like eyes started up at him, and the shiver of her body from contact with his cold skin did not go unnoticed by Ulquiorra. His eyes drank up every last drop of her image.

Orihime's gaze returned to the window, as she began to try to walk over to it. Ulquiorra held onto her, helping her keep her balance as they moved over to the window together. Orihime's hand clutched Ulquiorra's even more tightly as she felt her muscles weakening from the little walking she had done.

When she got to the window, she stared out at the infinite blue sky and the green grass. She was shocked, though she did not show it, to see that the house sat on a patch of green grass that was surrounded by water- or so it seemed. She would not be able to confirm this without going outside and looking at the house. The dark blue waters seem to go on forever, its waves unsettled and splashing against the shore. It was weird to see green suddenly give way to blue like that. _I guess I really can't escape can I?_ She thought to herself, _not that I ever could anyways_.

Orihime turned her gaze to Ulquiorra, "Kurosaki-kun…" His body tensed and suddenly seemed more rigid.

"Yes, he is dead." Ulquiorra said coldly. Her eyes flashed with devastation and pain. Even though her eyes were on him, it seemed as if she didn't even notice he was there suddenly. "We don't know where the body is," he lied.

Orihime nodded. She understood what he had just said. It was the same as when he told her about Nnoitra getting too excited and attacking Sado-kun out of turn. There was still the tiniest spark of hope. Kurosaki-kun just couldn't be dead. He couldn't _really_ be dead.

"You should rest. I will make sure you get some food and water later." Ulquiorra said, he grasped her waist forcing her to walk back to the bed. He helped her sit down on the bed gently before quickly taking a step back from her. Feeling dizzy, she slowly crawled back into her bed, lying on her side and staring at the window behind Ulquiorra. The lack of response from Orihime gave Ulquiorra the cue to leave. He turned around and started to head for the door.

"Ulqui…" Orihime began to say his softly.

"Yes?" He said, looking back at her.

"Thank you…again. For taking care of me," She said. He didn't respond to her, only stared at her for a moment. She thought she saw his eyes soften a little bit, but it was probably just her imagination. Without saying anything else, he left the room, closing the door behind him.


	4. Chapter 3: Let Me Live

**Chapter 3: Let Me Live**

_"Do you think I am made of stone?  
Cold and unfeeling  
Where all the pieces of my __**heart**__  
You have been stealing._

_I have to tell you just how I feel  
Without some sugar coating.  
Are you so blind that you cannot see  
that I am suffocating?_

_So Let me breathe,  
__**I have to live.**_

_Although it hurts me to confess  
I can't stop myself from thinking.  
It's better to jump overboard  
before this ship starts sinking._

_Would you please give me some air?_

_And Let me breathe  
I have to live."_

_**-let me breathe by the hours**  
_

How much time had passed? Orihime couldn't be sure. The sky was always blue, the non-existing sun was always bright, the grass outside stayed green, and the water a deep blue. She was on this floating mass of an island, trapped it seemed in some sort of other dimension.

It was incredibly lonely…

Except when Ulquiorra came to visit.

His visits were always short, either to bring her food or to just check up on her- although he did not say this when he visited. He would merely stand in the room with his hands in his pockets and stare at her. They had idle seemingly meaningless conversations. Neither of them seemed to want to talk about the elephant in the room: _what happened to her friends? And more importantly, where was Ichigo? Did they find his body? Were they all ok? _The island prison she was on did not allow her to feel anyone's reiatsu, but somehow in her heart she knew that they _had_ to be okay. They just _had_ to.

He brought her new clothes to wear. She tried on the white dress, while Ulquiorra stepped outside the little cottage to give her some privacy. Through the window, she could see him standing facing the sea, his hands in his pockets as always. _Why does he always look so lonely?_ She thought to herself as she put on the dress. The dress fit like a glove, the billowing hem fell to just about her knees. Its sleeves were short and the neckline cut straight across her collarbones. Other than the shorter hem, the signature black lines along the seams made the dress similar to what all the arrancars wore.

"Okay, decent," Orihime announced. Ulquiorra stepped inside and leaned against the door frame, his intense green eyes appraising her. Orihime looked away, trying to suppress a blush.

"You look beautiful," He simply stated, unprompted. Orihime's eyes widened with surprise. Ulquiorra, however, was not surprised at his own response. Every day, as Orihime recovered, her skin seemed to glow more and more. Maybe it was the faux sunlight and blue sky? Maybe it was just the food? It seemed she was beginning to thrive again. _She will live_, he thought fiercely to himself.

"Ulquiorra…" Orihime asked, looking away from him and wandering over to the window as she often did. She wanted to quickly change the topic since she felt uncomfortable with Ulquiorra's compliment. "What is this place?"

"We were all given our own quarters when we became Espadas, but Aizen of course gave Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen more…freedom with designing their own quarters. This place belonged to Gin Ichimaru, but he does not use it," Ulquiorra said. Orihime's grey eyes blinked with interest. She did not know very much about Gin, except that he was a very scary person- _No! How judgmental of me_, Orihime scolded herself. _ He's not that scary…he couldn't be if Rangiku cared about him so much,_ Orihime thought. The cheerful and rambunctious blonde only became somber when Gin's name was mentioned. The light behind her pale blue eyes faded for just a flickering moment, before she moved on to the next thought with resilience.

"Really? I would have never thought…this isn't the kind of place I'd associate with him," Orihime said. Ulquiorra looked down for a second, pondering.

"He is… more complicated than he seems," Ulquiorra said thoughtfully.

"Oh, okay." Orihime said, satisfied with his answer. Ulquiorra was always so perceptive; Orihime didn't question him. _No wonder this place seems so lonely_. _Complicated misunderstood men always seem lonely, _Orihime thought staring at Ulquiorra in particular.

"Why would anyone want to be so isolated? So separated from everything- everyone," Orihime thought aloud.

"You humans are always so afraid of being alone. It's a pathetic safety blanket that does not serve any true purpose in the end." Ulquiorra responded. The words were harsh, but his tone was soft- sounding confused for a moment. He chose his words carefully, but it sounded like he was telling her what was for dinner. His words were facts. His world was solid, consistent, efficient- more importantly though, it made _sense _to him. People and emotions only interfered.

Orihime didn't know how to respond to his words at first. When she finally spoke though, she too chose her words carefully, "That safety blanket is what carries us through a storm. It's the light that we hold onto when everything seems hopeless. The memories of our friends keep us strong when we should be afraid."

"Are you not afraid now? You are all alone. Your friends are gone. Your time here is limited. You are at Aizen's mercy." Ulquiorra stated, wanting to put Orihime completely at _his_ mercy. Orihime's gazed locked on Ulquiorra; her grey eyes were unwavering. She took a step toward Ulquiorra, and he unconsciously took a step back from her.

"I am not afraid," Orihime stated firmly. "I will find my friends and I will heal them. I will bring them back from the dead if I must, but I will save them. And then, we will find a way out of Hueco Mundo and we'll all go home." Her words seemed like affirmations more for herself than Ulquiorra. Her words no longer served the argument at hand; they had a higher purpose.

"You cannot go anywhere. I suggest you don't try. You will only regret it." Ulquiorra said as he turned to leave the cottage. His parting gaze flared with anger.

"You can't keep her there forever!" Nel protested. Ulquiorra was growing more and more annoyed with this woman.

"That is not for you to decide," Ulquiorra stated simply. Inwardly he sighed, _why is this woman always bothering me?_ Nel had cornered Ulquiorra in the hallway when he was leaving a meeting. Why were people always cornering him in hallways and keeping him from work? Don't these people have their own work to attend to?

"You cannot keep her in that cage. You can try keep her there forever, but eventually she will die if you do." Nel pressed, noticing Ulquiorra's nostrils flaring with anger. She softened her tone as she continued, "I know you care about her. I know you want to protect her. Keeping her there isn't protecting her."

"And what do you suggest we do? Let her free into the Hueco Mundo wild? Let her die out in the sand?" Ulquiorra snapped. "Do not presume to know more than you do, Nelliel."

"I will not stand for this. It has been too long!" Nel raised her voice, though it did not sound louder, it somehow sounded much stronger.

"You are treading on dangerous grounds, woman. Aizen-sama…"

"Aizen has given no orders to you since he said you could take her to Gin's island. And I know that you haven't asked him anything or told him anything about her since then because you don't want anything to change, you just want to keep her there." Nel said. "You can't stop me, Ulquiorra. You may be the fourth, but I was once the third and I have had plenty of time to restore my reiatsu since my return."

"Threats?" He asked, tilting his head to the side curiously.

"I will tell her about Ichigo."

"You will do _No Such Thing_." He glared at her, his reiatsu flaring strongly now with a new anger- a much more frightening anger. Nel prepared to defend, if not retaliate.

"What is the meaning of this?" A low firm voice demanded. The two Espadas turned to see the two people who happened to be passing by. Tosen's stoic face managed to look like he was frowning without actually frowning. Nel didn't think anyone could get more stoic than Ulquiorra, but as of late the Espada was being more temperamental than ever; Tosen, on the other hand, was always business.

"None of your business," Ulquiorra stated calmy. Ulquiorra rarely showed anyone ranked above him the respect he gave Aizen. Ulquiorra served Aizen and Aizen only, and no one else.

"It is Aizen's business if it is in Aizen's home," Harribel said raising a blonde eyebrow at the green-eyed boy. She and Tosen had just returned from a meeting with Aizen where they discussed new military strategies. It was a job that should have been done by Starrk, but the lazy man could not be found anywhere.

"Are you Aizen?" Ulquiorra countered quickly, maintaining his calm tone.

"Enough! Return to your work." Tosen ordered.

"Yes, Commander Tosen," Said Ulquiorra.

Tosen nodded and then walked away purposefully from the three arrancars. A frustrated Ulquiorra walked away quickly as well in the opposite direction, his scowl clearly showing his disgust.

"Has he always been this like this?" Harribel asked her fellow female Espada.

"Ulquiorra has always been a baby. He just masks it well." Nel muttered. Harribel nodded at Nel in agreement. Although Ulquiorra had always been quiet, Harribel was perceptive enough to notice the impetuousness associated with his age every now and then. Locking eyes with her fellow female Espada, Harribel gave one final nod of acknowledgement before turning and walking away slowly in the direction Tosen had gone. _It is nice to have another female Espada around_, Harribel thought to herself.

"Pppppsssttt!" Orhime heard, and quickly turning around, looked over at the door. A bright flash of green hair peeked out from the side of the door. "It's me!" Nel whispered.

"Nel-san, there's no one else on this island but me. You don't have to whisper," Orihime pointed out. Nel stood up straight and walked through the door, flashing Orihime a bright smile.

"Oh yes! Wonderful!" Nel said.

"What's going on?" Orihime asked with concern. It had been some time since she last saw the beautiful Espada. "Are you even allowed to be here?"

"No, I'm not- that's why I was whispering, silly!" Nel giggled. If Orihime was considered a cheerful girl, then Nel was an Orihime x 1000.

"Hahaha, okay then. Would you like to have some tea? I was just brought some, and it would be nice to share it with someone," Orihime offered. Nel shook her head in refusal.

"No, there is a reason I snuck in here, Orihime-chan. It took an awful lot of work to find this place you know!" Nel said rolling her eyes. "I can't believe the security around this place!"

"Haha, yeah. Ulquiorra said it would be impossible for me to escape from here," Orihime said, her voice drifted off in a sad tone.

"That's why I have come! This is our only chance! They've finally broken through the seal so now people can come in and out of Hueco Mundo again. Ulquiorra has been dispatched to go to the human world to do some reconnaissance. We need to get you and Ichigo out of here now!" Nel said as she hustled Orihime toward the door.

"You found Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime cried with joy.

"Yes, Pesche found his body being stored in Szayel's lab. We're going to go get him and get you guys out of here," Nel said with determination. Orihime could only comply as she was shoved out the door. "Now, hold on tight!" Nel said picking Orihime up in her arms.

"Wahhhhhhh?" Orihime screamed as Nel sped off using her sonido to skip across the water.

It only took about three seconds before Nel and Orihime appeared on a green bridge leading to a blue door. Nel let Orihime down from holding her and grabbed Orihime's hand pulling her toward the door.

"We must act fast. I don't know how long Ulquiorra will be gone," Nel said as they pushed through the blue door. Inside the building, the girls found themselves in a long steel-blue hallway with several doors on either side. Some doors had clear glass windows next to them, clearly used for observation. Orihime's wide eyes took in the surgically clean environment.

"This must be Szayel's lab?" Orihime wondered.

"It's one of them. He has so many! That's why it took Pesche and Dondochakka so long to find Ichigo."

"So, Kurosaki-kun is definitely here! But in which room? There are so many," Orihime said as she and Nel walked quickly and quietly down the hall.

"It's one of the most secure rooms, down this way. We've been lucky. Aizen has kept all the Espada so busy with work that Szayel hasn't even had time to really do anything to Ichigo," Nel explained as they walked to the end of the hallway and turned into a new hallway that looked identical to the one they had just left.

"So he's definitely okay?" Orihime cried out with hope.

"Shhhh!" Nel said giving Orihime an uncharacteristic frown.

"Sorry," Orihime whispered feeling embarrassed.

"We don't know. Pesche said all they found was Ichigo floating in a giant chamber of red fizzy water," Nel replied. Orihime scrunched up her face as she tried picturing that image. "That sounds gross," Orihime concluded.

"Yes, well, that's Szayel," Nel said with a dry humored tone. "Here's the room. Now…if I remember the passcode correctly…" Nel frowned searching her memory. "It was something like boomchachaboomboom…"

"What?" Orihime raised an eyebrow confused. Nel didn't bother to explain Szayel's eccentricities, now just wasn't the time.

"Oh! Boom chaka chaka boom boom," Nel said tapping the keyboard on the door. There was a buzzing noise before the door popped open and the ladies walked in. They found themselves in an antechamber with several lab desks pushed up against the walls. The desks were littered with science equipment, strange gross looking blobs in jars, remaining bone skulls of arrancars and hollows, scattered papers with spilled chemicals on them, and countless numbers of beakers and similar glassware. Nel's scan of the room stopped promptly at another door, with a sign that said "Do Not Enter" on it. Could Szayel be anymore clear? Sometimes Nel thought Szayel wasn't quite as smart as everyone thought he was. They walked over to the door and peeked through a small glass window. Inside, they could both see a very dark room with large complex equipment along the walls. In the center of the room was a glowing chamber filled with red water that, indeed, Ichigo was floating in.

"Ughh," Nel said with frustration. "I was really hoping Pesche and Dondochakka were not right about their description of this place, but I should have known better than to doubt them."

"What do you mean?" Orihime asked, confused.

"I think it's going to be more difficult than I thought to get him out of there. Gosh, I hope it doesn't take too much time…and with this being the only exit." Nel frowned, her mind quickly working through possible strategies. Orihime could only stare at the woman with wide eyes of concern. "Ok! You will have to just stand here and guard the door until I figure a way to get Ichigo out."

"Shouldn't you stand guard since you can fight better than I can?" Orihime asked.

"No, because you wouldn't be able to carry him and run quickly once he's out." Nel pointed out.

"Oh," Orihime muttered, _duh_, she told herself. _Why didn't I think of that? I'm just no good at these kinds of things. I'm always depending on someone else, _she thought, depressed.

"Ok, you be on guard and signal me when someone is coming." Nel said, snapping Orihime out of her thoughts. "Orihime, we must focus!"

"Yes! Sorry, I was just…uhm. Anyways, what kind of signal should I give?" Orihime stuttered, but it was too late- Nel had already gone inside.

"Just figure something out!" Nel called back.

"Oh boy," Orihime said nervously as she walked over to the main door peeking down the quiet and empty hallway. _What am I thinking? Things will be just fine. _ Orihime thought as she walked away from the door and sat down on one of the lab stools. _Everything will be just fine. I must believe. Nel-san is amazing. She's smart and fast. We'll get Kurosaki-kun out in no time. _

As soon as Orihime finished her thought, she felt a great rush of reiatsu that overwhelmed her. She squinted and then closed her eyes at the overwhelming strength of it. Then suddenly it quieted down and she was no longer alone in the lab.

"What are you doing?" Ulquiorra asked with a frightening calm tone.

"Ah…" Orihime stood up quickly taking a few steps back from Ulquiorra, only to have him take a few steps towards her. He did not look happy.

"I asked what are you doing? How did you get here? Who brought you here?" He demanded.

"I ah…I just decided to go for a walk!" Orihime said quickly trying to think of an excuse. "Haha, yes that's what I was doing! I was tired of being in the house all day and so I decided to walk around Las Noches and check out the sights."

"You were able to leave the island on your own?" Ulquiorra asked suspiciously.

"Uh…yes! I mean, of course. What? Don't underestimate me, Ulquiorra. Like Aizen said, my abilities impinges upon god's territory!" Orihime said unconvincingly with a nervous laugh.

Ulquiorra gave her a wry look of annoyance.

"I went for a walk and then I got lost…and then….a giant bear came out of nowhere and started chasing me and I was so afraid! So I ran and ran and then I came and hid in here until he went away."

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow at Orihime's story before walking over to her and feeling her forehead and cheek with the back of his head. "Has your fever returned, woman?"

"Wha? No!"

"Well, you shouldn't have left the island. I'll take you back now," Ulquiorra said grabbing her arm ready to drag her back. It was then that they both heard a loud clatter from the next room.

"What was that?" Ulquiorra frowned moving toward the door.

"Ah! Maybe it's the bear!" Orihime said jumping in front of him. _Ahhhh…what should I do? What should I do? I have to stall Ulquiorra long enough to let Nel and Kurosaki-kun escape. But how will I distract him?_ Orihime thought quickly in a panic.

"Get out of my way, woman." Ulquiorra ordered, frowning.

"It's just the bear!"

"I will only say this once more: get out of my way, wo…" Before Ulquiorra could finish his sentence the girl had leaped at him throwing her arms around his neck. Ulquiorra reflexively caught her in his arms, but before he could set her down or do anything she pressed her soft pink lips against his. Ulquiorra's green eyes went wide with shock, unable to move; he was paralyzed by her kiss.

Orihime had no idea what she was doing, but as long as it kept Ulquiorra from finding Nel and Kurosaki-kun, she didn't care. She didn't have too much experience with kissing- she'd always been so shy and all. But she had done some kissing at a few of her friends' parties. They were mainly quick pecks though that resulted from giddy spiked punch and a game of spin the bottle. This was different. She had to occupy him for a while; And so she pressed her lips against his cold lips. Softly but firmly she moved her lips over his, molding her mouth against his mouth, and warming his cold lips with her warm ones. She heard a groan come from Ulquiorra as he deeply inhaled, pulled her closer, and moved his soft wet tongue over her bottom lip.

* * *

Ok guys, hope you're enjoying the story so far. Please leave feedback if you can. I've been drawn into another ulquihime story so I want to know if this story is interesting enough to continue with or if I should focus my attention on the new one. Thanks!


	5. Chapter 4: How the Heart Behaves

Thanks everybody for the reviews! I love to hear that you are enjoying the story. Just a quick response to maiahini who asked about the hairspray and Nel's hair. That little sentence was a tribute to a friend who had commented on how so many women in manga have such long flowing thick curly hair and how do they get such perfect hair? My friend joked that they must have to use a lot of hairspray. Because, seriously Nel, why is your hair so perfect?

Anyways! I worked hard to get this chapter out for you guys. I am a little annoyed to find out that my section dividers were not transferring and I didn't notice until now. Oi, I can see how reading the previous chapters without a divider between scenes can be confusing. I will have to make sure to fix that in the future. I have a midterm this week and so the next chapter might be a little slow. Next time though, I will grace you with a painting I did for this story! Don't forget to review!

* * *

**Chapter 4: How the Heart Behaves**

_"What grew_  
_What grew_  
_What grew and inside who?_  
_First so simple was the vow,_  
_Then the chorus sang about._  
_Your shoulder: the mooring* for me,_  
_Like water lost in the sea._

_The **cold heart will burst**_  
_**If mistrusted first,**_  
_And a calm heart will break  
When given a shake."_

_**-how my heart behaves by feist **_

***** from the verb _to moor_: to secure (a ship, boat, dirigible, etc.) in a particular place.

Ulquiorra had thought about this, dreamed about this, but he never thought this would actually happen. The woman wasn't interested in him; she was in love with her shinigami. As much as she confused him, frustrated him, angered him, and exacerbated him, a small part of him always longed for her to want him- to need him. He thought that if he could not have her, then he would simply kill the man she loved. But, since Aizen took care of that problem for him; there was very little he could do except keep her captive. He didn't understand the complexity of the things he was feeling, but he was familiar with the more primitive parts.

His hands flexed, gripping the fabric of her dress. Her lips moved so fast over his, he could hardly savor her taste. He wanted to move slower, wanted to take his time to explore her and understand her. Her arms were gripped around his neck tightly and she seemed so rushed! He pulled away from her and stared into her stormy grey eyes. With a short pause, he inhaled deeply before trying to focus.

Orihime moved forward capturing his lips again, this time shoving her soft pink tongue into his mouth. Ulquiorra suddenly feel like his stomach was on fire, the ache between his legs pulsing, every inch of his skin tingling. His tongue moved forth rubbing against hers as he forced her to open her mouth a little wider. His hands pushed her even closer until there was no room between them at all, both their bodies pressed completely against each other. His hands ached to feel bare skin underneath them. It felt like the most consuming heat. He heard her whimper, and it drove him mad. His hand moved upward, running into her long hair. He opened his hands, combing her hair through his fingers and reveling in its silky softness before gripping it suddenly and pulling her head back. With her head tilted, he devoured her, taking advantage of her positioning. He didn't care about moving slowly now.

A door slammed shut, banging loudly- followed by a strong rush of wind. Ulquiorra jerked his head away from Orihime at the sound; his eyes opened with alert.

Orihime reached up and grabbed his dark long hair, pulling him down to her, and started kissing his neck. Her hot breath and wet tongue moved up his neck over to his ear.

"Take me back to my room," She whispered in his ear, before biting down on his earlobe softly. Ulquiorra hissed at her teasing bite, almost losing his breath completely. His head was spinning. What was she doing to him?

"Take me back to my room," She pleaded again, licking the skin right below his ear. He couldn't say no.

He pulled her up against him, reaching down to pick up her. Holding her in his arms, he moved down and captured her lips again. He kissed her hard; he was familiar now with the shape of her lips and the feel of her mouth. Within seconds, after a strong gush of wind and what felt like a spray of sea water, they were on the doorstep of her small cottage.

Setting her down, he continued to hold her closely as he kissed her, but managed to push her back up against the door of the cottage. Every quick breath, every whimper, every soft groan that escaped her mouth pushed him closer and closer to the edge. A strangled sound of frustrated came from his mouth as he removed a hand from her waist and fumbled with the door knob. The door popped open and Orihime stumbled backward completely losing her balance. She would have fallen down on her butt if it weren't for the fact that Ulquiorra was holding her so tightly. He continued to push her toward the bed, all the while still kissing her with a fever.

Orihime's feet continued to stumble backward until she felt the bed hit the back of her knees. He pushed her down toward the bed, making Orihime lose her balance for a moment. She was suddenly lying on the bed staring up at him. His hooded green eyes stared at her intensely and Orihime could see he was breathing quickly. He leaned down over her, pressing his body up against hers but propping his arms up on either side of her face. The length of his body against hers burned. His lips moved to her cheek, moving fast wet kisses over to her ear, licking and nibbling for a moment before moving down her neck. Orihime could hear his labored breathing, uneven and barely controlled. His breath moved against the wet parts of her neck he had kissed, sending a shiver over her body. His lips moved over to the center base of her neck, licking and kissing there before returning to her lips.

Orihime's head was spinning. She had never been kissed like this before. She had never been held or handled in such a way. She felt his desperation in the way his muscles tensed. She could only give in and let him take what he wanted. Her lower stomach felt warm and her limbs felt limp. He bit down on her lower lip as he slid one of his legs in between her legs and pressed his hips into hers. She felt his hard length against her warm center. With a gasp, Orihime's eyes flew open. _**Too much! Too much! Too fast! Too fast!**_Orihime's mind screamed.

"Stop!" Orihime cried.

And he did.

He lifted his head and look at her, his green eyes filled with confusion for a moment.

Orihime sat up on her bed, scooting herself back from him. He stood up, his breathing still labored. Orihime stared at his lips, because it was easier than staring into his intense eyes, but it wasn't any easier. His normally pale white lips and cheeks were slightly red from the rough kissing; his lips were parted, taking the long deep breaths he needed in order to regain control of himself. She looked back up, catching his gaze again.

He didn't understand. She seemed to be enjoying it as much as he was. She had been the one to kiss him first. She had been the one to push them further. She had been the one that demanded they come back to her room. He could feel her need when he held her in his arms. His arms fell limp at his sides now, powerless. His brows knit together into a confused frown of unhappiness.

"I…I…" Orihime started trying to explain. She looked away from his burning gaze and decided to focus her gaze at the door behind him instead of any part of him. It was easier to think that way.

She looked confused as well. Ulquiorra couldn't read her face. He had never really been very good at reading her emotions, but right now it was impossible. Her chest was moving up and down, her breath also still fast from his kisses. Her neck and cheeks were bright pink, either from his kisses or from embarrassment. He waited for an explanation. It was a long silence- the air between them tight with tension.

"I'm sorry…" Was all she could muster up in a quiet voice. Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes at this and waited for more. But she didn't say anything else.

"I see," He said swallowing hard and stuffing his hands into his pockets. His hands were burning. Why was his chest aching? He looked down at the floor, blinking several times for a moment as if it would help clear his mind. "Very well," he said turning around and leaving, slamming the door behind him.

He was gone. Her body crumbled over onto the bed, and she laid on her side staring at the door. Her mind was quiet for a moment, unsure of what to even think. She closed her eyes. How did she end up like this?

Orihime gasped loudly, her eyes flying open. A flood of thoughts came into Orihime's head as she remembered. _Where was Nel? Where was Kurosaki-kun? Did they get away? Oh my god! _Orihime sat up in bed. _He'll know! The moment he goes back he'll know! Ulquiorra will know that I was there just to distract him and that I helped Kurosaki-kun get away!_

"Oh no!" Orihime groaned, flopping back down on the bed. She stared at the ceiling with concern. _Oh well…All I can do is wait and see. I'm sure Nel-san is taking care of Kurosaki-kun. I will just…I will just have to deal with Ulquiorra when he gets back._ Orihime couldn't stop it though. It was a burning feeling in her upper chest and throat: She felt guilty.

* * *

It had been several hours- or so it felt. Even though there were no clocks, Orihime had started to get a handle on her own internal clock. It helped her figure out when to sleep, when to get up, and when to eat. Currently, she was brushing her hair with a comb Ulquiorra had left her several days ago. She was looking at herself in the mirror, humming to herself. She had just put on her nightgown and was about to go to sleep. Suddenly, a great rush of reiatsu shook the cottage. "AH!" Orihime screamed, dropping her comb onto the dresser. "Ulquiorra?" She said as she turned around. The door of the cottage burst open, it barely hanging onto its hinges.

Outlined by the bright light behind him, a tall man with pink hair stood glaring at her. He wore a white lab coat over his normal Espada garb and gloves on his hands. His fingers flexed with tension and rage. His amber eyes gleamed with death. Orihime was frozen in fear.

"You…little….bitch!" He choked out, stomping into the room. "Did you think I wouldn't know? Every inch of my lab is covered by surveillance cameras. Nothing happens in my lab that I don't know about!"

Orihime's eyes widen as he came toward her. She tried to step back but ran into the dresser behind her. She reached back placing her hands on the dresser ledge and gripping it tight. When he reached her, he stood close to her, glaring down at her. His bright pink hair and orange eyes made him look frightening inhuman despite his hollow mask remains being the most normal looking out of all the Espada.

"I would kill you right now with my bare hands if Aizen-sama hadn't ordered for you to be alive." Szayel said as he reached up, his hands shaking with anger, and placing them over Orihime's skull. "I would snap you in between my fingers like a twig!" He spat out. Orihime whimpered with terror, her eyes getting wet with tears.

"Now, I don't know where your stupid lover boy is, but I want to know where the shinigami's body is! And you will tell me right now!" He yelled, spit spraying across her face. Orihime winced, unable to say anything in her fear. "TELL ME RIGHT NOW, BITCH!" He screamed, slapping Orihime hard across the cheek. Orihime's neck snapped to the side, her ears ringing in pain. He had slapped her in such a way that he managed to hit her ear and her cheek. The entire left side of her face was bright red now, and she started to cry.

"TELL ME!" He grabbed both her wrists, and pulled her up. "Look at me, bitch. You will tell me, or I will cripple you so badly your lover boy won't even be able to recognize you!" He squeezed her wrists tightly with his arrancar strength. Orihime screamed out in pain.

"OWOWOW!" She started sobbing. "I don't… I don't know where they are!" She pleaded.

"You're lying," He said, letting go of one wrist and slapping her across the face again on the other cheek. Both of Orihime's ears were ringing now.

"I really don't know! All I did was stand guard. I really don't know!" She cried. He let go of her wrist and instead grabbed both her shoulders. He pulled her up, gripping her shoulders painfully, until her feet were off the ground and she was eye to eye with the mad scientist. He stared into her eyes for the longest time. The pain around her shoulders was getting to be unbearable. Any longer, and she was sure her bones would break. Finally, he let go of her- although his method was to throw her across the room. Orihime's right side of her body slammed into the wall and she cried out in pain.

"Alright, I can see you're worthless and you don't know. But let me tell you something: When I get the chance, I will dissect every part of your body while keeping you alive so you can see your own body being cut apart. You will regret this!" He threatened, spitting on her. Orihime cringed as the spit hit her face; it stung as if it were more acidic than normal saliva. She rubbed it off with her hand as quickly as possible before it did any damage to her face. "I'll first make you watch me torture and kill your boyfriend and that stupid whore Nel as well!"

Szayel glared at her once more, before turning around and disappearing with his sonido without even stepping out the door. Orihime crawled over to her bed and climbed onto it, cringing with pain. Tears were still falling down her face. She closed her eyes and cried herself to sleep.

* * *

Ulquiorra had heard about everything. When he had left Orihime's room, he had gone on a long walk to places only he knew about. He wanted to be alone with the confusion and hurt he felt. He didn't know why he felt hurt, but he knew the woman had managed to make him feel inadequate. Instead of that making him angry or embarrassed, he only felt a pain in his chest. When did this happen to him? When did he suddenly have all these _feelings_. He hated every part of his human side, except for the rational part that let him think logically and pragmatically. Although, he was starting to wonder if those abilities were now hindered by these new feelings.

When he returned to the main rooms of Las Noches, there was a bit of chaos. There were arrancar fraccions running rampant- well, not that many. Only a few were rushing around, but it was out of the ordinary. He reached out and grabbed a running arrancar that was passing by him. Holding the arrancar by the throat he asked, "What is going on?"

The poor arrancar choked out a short explanation. Someone had stolen the shinigami's body from Szayel's lab and everyone was looking for Neliel and Ichigo. Ulquiorra let go of the arrancar, and proceeded to go visit Orihime.

He took his time in getting there though. There was no need to rush. She would still be there, no doubt. He didn't know whether to be mad or not. He was definitely not mad about the shinigami's missing body. He could care less about Ichigo Kurosaki and his whereabouts. But he knew that _she_ had a part in it though. She had "distracted" him so Neliel and the damn shinigami could escape. She had used him. How dare she? Somehow, he wasn't angry though- and he didn't understand this. He should be angry. Instead, he felt something else...

When he reached her island, her door was already opened. He felt the remains of Szayel's reiatsu, which made him flare his nostrils and narrow his eyes with suspicion. When he stepped through the door though, the only thing he saw was Orihime laying on the bed in her nightgown. She had several bruises on her- clearly, Szayel had been here and questioned Orihime.

She was staring at nothing- her grey eyes blank, her golden lashes still wet with tears. Her cheeks were red from being hit, and they had streaks of tears down them as well. Her pink lips were parted, but she was breathing so quietly he could barely hear her. She was resting on her side, facing him; one leg was thrown over the other so that her nightgown rode up revealing a long expanse of pale slender legs. The nightgown was barely covering her behind, and his eyes lingered longingly on her thighs. He stood in the door and waited for her to acknowledge him.

Finally, her grey eyes flickered up at him. He saw relief in her eyes for a moment, but the expression on her face didn't change. She reached out a hand to him. "Come here," She said quietly. He hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should after the way she had used him. The look on her face broke him down though. He didn't want her to be like this. He walked over to her and sat down on the bed, taking her hand in his hand. His thumb rubbed the back of her hand reassuringly as his other hand reached up and gently touched her red cheek with his thumb and forefinger. She winced at his touch and he withdrew his hand.

"Will you lay here with me?" She asked, her beautiful grey eyes staring up at him imploringly. He only paused for a moment, before realizing he couldn't say no to her. He shifted his weight onto the bed, and laid down on his side facing her. He rested an arm comfortably underneath his head. His other arm rested on the side of his body. There was only a little bit of space in between them. She tucked her hands underneath her head, and they laid like that for several moments. His green eyes gazed into her grey ones, searching for something.

Her eyes didn't reveal much. She only looked sad. He reached up and brushed a tear from her cheek. He heard her exhale softly before snuggling into his chest. The moment he felt her body press against his, he felt that warm ache return to his lower stomach. He cursed his human side and its needs. She snuggled even closer, burying her face into his chest.

"Hold me," She pleaded, her voice muffled by his chest. He looked down at her with hesitation. He wasn't sure if he should be doing this. The last time they got close like this, things didn't end well. Eventually, though, he gave in and tucked one arm underneath her head and the other around her waist. He felt her soft body warming up his cold clothes. He rested his head on top of hers, and took a breath of her sweet smelling hair. He reached up and brushed the hair away from her face so he could see her. Her eyes were closed, with tears still coming down her face. As he gently kept brushing her hair with his hand, he gave into his impulse and bent down and kissed her forehead.

She started crying.

At first it alarmed him, and his body stiffened, prepared to move away from her. But she gripped the front of his uniform and snuggled even closer. He didn't mind that she was wiping her snot on his uniform. His arms held her a bit more firmly, but he was careful not to hurt her sore-wounded body. Orihime sobbed into his chest until she fell asleep.

Ulquiorra stayed awake and held her long until after she had fallen asleep.


	6. Chapter 5: You Know You Played Your Part

**Chapter 5: You Know You Played Your Part**

"_Won't you see it in your__** heart**__, you should__**  
Know you always played your part real good  
**__that's something to die for  
that's something to die for_

_**If it hurts, we'll be there  
We'll be standing by the shore  
You will see how the waves wash away all the dirt**__  
That's something to die for  
That's something to die for_

_**In the end I'll be there  
I'll be standing by your side  
We will see how the tide  
Hides away all the dirt  
**__  
That's something to die for"_

_**-something to die for by carolina liar **_

When Orihime woke up she found herself nestled in Ulquiorra's arms. They were facing each other, with Ulquiorra's arm tucked underneath Orihime's neck and his other arm around her waist. He held her close; their bodies had built a heat together while Orihime had been asleep. At some point during Orihime's sleeping, their legs had become tangled; now they laid together as closely as possible with their limbs intertwined. Orihime take deep breath and exhaled slowly- her breath warming his chest. He smelled cold, like the first breath you take when you stop outside your house after a snowstorm. Her head still felt drowsy from the sleep. She wiggled in his arms and said, "Good morning."

He didn't answer, except to give a quiet grunt of acknowledgement. She looked up at him, her grey eyes bright. "How long have I been asleep?" She asked quietly.

"A long time," He replied. Ulquiorra didn't look down at her quite yet, his eyes were fixed on the wall behind Orihime's bed. His face twitched for a second out of tension. He had time, while Orihime was sleeping, to think through a lot of things. It was so hard because he didn't really know how he felt about the whole situation. She felt good in his arms and his body wanted to hold her like this forever despite the impossibilities. Yet his mind knew what she had done and that part unsettled him; it was that part that confused him the most. His thinking had led him to conclude that she had used him so that her shinigami could escape- and that thought made his chest burn. He had searched for words that could explain what he was feeling; but because he did not fully understand all the complexities of the heart yet, _jealousy_ and _betrayal_ were elusive concepts to him.

When he still refused to look down at her, he felt her wiggling up until her head was on the pillow and she was facing him. Her grey eyes looked awake and cheerful without her even having to smile. Ulquiorra frowned, not knowing what there was to be cheerful about. They stared at each other for a long moment, each of them trying to read the other's emotions- both of them probably looking ridiculous with the contrasts of emotions they were displaying.

Finally, Orihime leaned forward toward Ulquiorra's face until she was so close their noses were touching. Ulquiorra's blank expression did not change, but his body stiffened, preparing for whatever it was she was planning on doing.

"Thank you, again," She said, her warm breath enticing him. "You're always taking care of me," She commented with an unexpected pang of guilt. She swallowed hard and gave into her instincts. She leaned in further until their lips were just barely touching. It was then, when she had just barely begun kissing him that he pulled away from her. He let go of her and sat up in the bed. Orihime felt the rush of cold air that came with the absence of his warm body. He could see the hurt in her eyes when she asked, "What's wrong?"

"I do not think doing that is a good idea." He said regretfully. "Last time, it…did not end well."

"I'm sorry about last time. I didn't want you to leave. I just… wanted us to slow down a bit," She explained and reached over to hold his hand. "We were just moving too fast for me."

"What do you mean?"

"Well…" Orihime looked away embarrassed. "I'm still in high school and…and…I'm not that experienced."

"You seemed to have been doing fine. Were you not enjoying it?" He pushed for more answers. She blushed a deep pink when she thought about all the things he had made her feel. She felt so embarrassed to be talking about this. She was so inexperienced that she didn't even know how to have this conversation. Closing her eyes for a moment, she tried to compose herself.

"Yes, I was." She said, her voice shaking a little. "I would just like to go a bit slower next time."

He was getting irritated, "You were the one who kissed me, and you were the one moving fast." She groaned in frustration; she had been hoping desperately that he wouldn't point that part out. She had been moving fast because she needed to distract him long enough for Nel and Kurosaki-kun to escape. She didn't want to discuss that part yet though; her guilt wouldn't allow it.

"I know. I was…confused."

"You were confused about what? Whether or not you like me?" The sentence came out quickly from Ulquiorra's mouth without his control. Orihime gasped, her grey eyes widening. He didn't understand what had prompted her to kiss him like she did. Surely there were other ways she could have distracted him. She sat up in bed and scooted over to kneel next to Ulquiorra. She took both his hands in hers.

"Oh no! No, no, no. I do like you, Ulquiorra. I like you so much." She said desperately, squeezing his hands in hers. Orihime looked into Ulquiorra's eyes and she thought she saw a glint of hurt there. "I like you so much," Orihime reaffirmed, "You've been so good to me. You've been such a good friend. I would have probably died by now if it weren't for you."

_A friend?_ He thought, _she thinks of me as a friend?_ "So…you feel gratitude for what I've done for you?"

"No! Not just gratitude, although I am so thankful for everything you've done, but I…" Orihime tried to find other words for 'I like you' but it was difficult for some reason. 'I like you' sounded so lame. There had to be a better way of explaining how she felt about him.

"You think I am a friend…like your nakama who came here to rescue you?" He interrogated. His voice was firmer now with a slow growing anger. He removed his hands from hers and moved away from her. He didn't want to be categorized with Ichigo Kurosaki or any of her other human friends. Ulquiorra's intense green eyes glared at her. Orihime was still fumbling for an explanation.

"No, it's not like that!" She pleaded. "I just…I just don't have the words for it right now, okay Ulquiorra? I don't know how I'm feeling."

"You don't know?" He repeated. He stood up quickly, shoving his hands his pockets and taking several steps away from the bed toward the window. He stood for a moment staring out the window at the blue sea before he began to pace around the room. When he finally looked her, his green eyes cut like steal. She suddenly felt very alarmed.

"You don't know," He said again, "Well let me tell you why you don't know." He proceeded to walk slowly back to her bed, each step taken with deadly intentions. "You had _no_ intention of doing what you did, but the moment came and you had to distract me so your precious shinigami could escape."

Orihime felt her body freeze over at his words. Her mind couldn't even think. Her body seemed drained of all blood.

"I can see it in your eyes. You know what you did," He sneered. Her pale face looked like she was going to fall apart. Tears were starting to form and her eyes pleaded with him silently. It was there though, he could see it: Guilt. It was written all over her face.

Ulquiorra sighed and turned around so he could not face Orihime. It would be easier to leave this way. "Do not think the things you have done will not go unpunished. You will deal with the consequences of your actions- if not from me then from someone else." And with that, Ulquiorra pushed the cottage door open and left.

* * *

Harribel was walking down a long hall of endless doors when she spotted a flash of bright turquoise-green hair. Narrowing her eyes with suspicion, her sonido brought her right in front of Nel. The younger Espada gasped in surprise at first, and then instantly became defensive in alarm. She took several steps back from Harribel, her hand on the hilt of her sword.

"What are you doing, Nelliel?" Harribel asked, her voice as calm as a day without wind. Despite Nel's immediate defensive reaction, she noticed that the woman did not so much as raise an eyebrow at seeing her snooping about.

"Well, I think you pretty much know already, don't you?" Nel responded, cautiously. Harribel gave a sigh, looked away, and then closed her eyes.

"I suppose I do. I do not know anyone who doesn't," Harribel said.

"Are you going to do anything about it?" Nel asked. Harribel looked at Nel for a moment thoughtfully, before sighing again and saying, "No." Nel blinked several times, not sure if she had heard what she had thought she heard. Nel had been fully prepared to take on the third ranking Espada, despite fully knowing that she did not stand a chance.

"Are you going to let me pass?" Nel asked.

"Sure."

"What?" Nel cried out incredulously, "Really? Why?"

"Do you want me to stop you?"

"No, I don't like fighting unless I have to- I just thought I would have to in this situation."

Harribel looked at the younger Espada for a moment. She had been Vasto Lorde long before this little girl had become an Espada. The fact that she joined Aizen's army much later did not give Nel any seniority. There was a certain resolve that reflected Nel's maturity as a warrior, but Harribel quickly saw through that and saw the heart of a child. Having just lost her fraccion in the last fight, Harribel just didn't have the will to fight this young child. Indeed, a part of her sympathized with the girl.  
"You should know with the status of Las Noches as it is, that it matters little what I do or don't do with you." Harribel said, maintaining a relaxed pose, her hands folded and stuffed inside her sleeves. Nel looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully for a moment before saying, "I suppose you're right. It's hard for me to know though since I've been away for so long."

Harribel began to walk away from Nel, apparently having become disinterested in the girl. Nel followed Harribel, skipping a few steps to keep up with the woman. Harribel didn't mind that the little green-haired girl was following her. She missed her fraccion and it was comforting to hear another female's voice. "Las Noches is in a state of chaos. The defeat has made many of the arrancars doubt Aizen's strength. Everyone is running around doing whatever they want and Aizen could care less."

"Really?" Nel said incredulously. Aside from when she had been reappointed as an Espada, she had not seen Aizen much. She had always assumed that Aizen just wasn't particularly interested in her. There were other certain go-to people that Aizen repeatedly trusted to do important jobs, like Ulquiorra.

"Yes. Apparently, Aizen has locked himself away with the Hogyoku and has not been seen since." The thought disturbed Harribel. The thought made Nel shiver. "He's going mad." Harribel whispered and a low tone.

"And everyone's just…are arrancars leaving?" Nel asked. She had been so busy figuring out plans to rescue Ichigo and Orihime that she had barely noticed anything.

"There are some who have left. There are some who are rebelling- although without anyone to really rebel against, they mainly seem to be just fighting amongst themselves. Baraggan is plotting, and that concerns me more," Harribel said as she continued walking.

"So you don't care what I did, rescuing Ichigo?" Nel asked. Harribel gave a short low laugh, which surprised Nel.

"I doubt anyone cares what you did with Kurosaki- except Szayel of course. I'm sure you can deal with him on your own." Harribel pushed open a large set of doors at the end of the long hallway and stepped out into the bright sunlight of Las Noches. Nel continued to follow Harribel as they walked across a bridge, unable to suppress her fascination with the woman.

"Why has Aizen hidden himself away? Why do you think he's going mad?" Nel had to know.

"Something Gin Ichimaru said, I don't know much more than that." Harribel said dryly.

"And you don't care?"

"I do not care," Harribel confirmed.

"So…what will you do?" Nel asked, knitting her brow.

"What I have always done," Harribel said, as she pushed open another set of doors at the end of the bridge. "Survive."

Nel stopped short of following the woman into the new building. Instead she stood thoughtfully on the bridge, meditating on what she had just learned. Nel had never known anyone like Ichigo. When she met him, she was infatuated with his courage and grew attached to the love he had for everyone- a love that drove him to protect anyone at all costs- even her, someone he had just met. She loved her fraccion, but their loyalties were always to her, and her alone. Ichigo wanted to protect everyone. Ichigo was one of the strongest people Nel had ever met. And now, Nel smiled to herself, she had met someone who was just as strong.

Nel turned around and headed back to where she was going when Harribel had found her. It was when she was only about halfway across the bridge that she heard Harribel re-open the door and come out of the building she had just disappeared into.

"Nelliel, there is something I feel I should show you." Harribel said meeting up with Nel at middle of the bridge.

"What?" Nel said.

* * *

Harribel brought Nel to a courtyard where they stood on a second floor wrap-around balcony looking down. Below them on the courtyard, Ulquiorra fought mercilessly several arrancars, some them over twice his size. His was speed was blinding and graceful, his sword cut swiftly and silently. Blood was everywhere, his clothes were torn and cut from attacks, and pieces of dead arrancars' bodies laid everywhere. He was relentless. As the two women watched, dead bodies began piling up. Ulquiorra's movements became more and more forceful, violent, uncontrolled.

"What in the worlds is wrong with him?" Nel whispered, looking at Harribel incredulously.

"I think you should know better than me," Harribel replied, raising an eyebrow at the girl.

"What do you mean?" Nel acted innocent. Harribel scowled at her. Nel pouted, "Ok, I know. But what am I supposed to do? I didn't know Orihime-chan would do what she did! Besides, he'll get over it."

Harribel continued to scowl.

"Ok! I'm sorry. Boy…" Nel sighed, "What should I do?"

"I supposed you don't really have to do anything. He is making an awful mess, though, and with the amount of chaos Las Noches is already in…"

"Ugh!" Nel moaned in exacerbation. The two women continued to watch the fourth Espada conduct his genocide. "Harribel-sama, please, could you take care of this?"

Harribel raised an eyebrow at the young woman's audacity.

"It's just…I have to still get Ichigo's body out of Las Noches. I've only had time to hide him until I figure out an exit strategy and then I still have to go and get Orihime so she can heal him. And…if you could distract him so that he doesn't notice Orihime missing…"

"You are truly naïve if you think that boy will not notice the orange-haired human being gone. He's got a personal homing device on that girl." Harribel pointed out. Nel threw her hands up and stared up at the ceiling.

"I'm out of ideas!" Nel cried with frustration. Harribel watched the girl for a moment before taking pity and sighing.

"I will not try to distract him for you. That is hardly my job and I do not want to entangle myself in your plotting. I have no interest in saving the humans." Harribel said. Nel's eyes dropped with disappointment, and Harribel sighed. "I will tell him to stop doing this though if you want."

"That would be good…" Nel said quickly.

"But, do you really want me to do that? This is probably distracting him more than anything else." Harribel pointed out. Nel thought for a moment before taking a worried look down at Ulquiorra.

"No, someone should probably stop him. He's either going to kill himself or cause even greater problems, like you said." Nel didn't know why, but a great sadness passed over her at the thought. "He so silly!" Nel cried stomping her foot with frustration.

"Just go," Harribel dismissed Nel.

"Oh! Yes. Thank you so much Harribel-sama!" Nel said eagerly before turning to go. Before completely leaving though she turned and looked at Harribel.

"One piece of advice,"

"Yes?"

"You will not get Orihime Inoue out of Las Noches without his cooperation, you know that right?"

"I guess," Nel said softly with consternation. "Harribel-sama?"

"What?"

"Oh…nothing…just…I really like you!" Nel said quickly, dashing off before Harribel could reply. In the moment after Nel disappeared, Harribel sighed. How did her life come to this? Surely there were more important things she could be doing. Harribel stood watching Ulquiorra for a few more minutes before leaping over the balcony ledge and landing right in front of the fourth Espada.

"Tia Harribel," Ulquiorra greeted her with a frown. "What can I do for you?" He asked, as a large arrancar came flying at them. Ulquiorra reached up and swung his sword, the arrancar splitting in half and falling dead next to them.

"I have come to tell you to stop this senseless killing. Aizen-sama has not ordered you to do any of the sort and I will report to him on what you have done."

"What is that you want from me?" Ulquiorra said suspiciously.

"Nothing, I just want some peace in this place." She said before turning around and leaving.

* * *

"Yo."

Ulquiorra had been walking through one of Aizen's main chamber rooms when he heard and turned at the familiar voice. He saw a blue-haired Espada laying on one of the several benches on the side of the room. Ulquiorra wondered why couldn't he just be alone today.

"What is it Grimmjow?" Ulquiorra said coldly.

"Don't snap at me!" Grimmjow snapped back, sitting up. Ulquiorra suppressed a groan of annoyance.

"I see you are recovered from your wounds," Ulquiorra said.

"Mmm," Grimmjow grunted in acknowledgement, flexing his hand, almost as if he wanted to make sure he still had it. "I'm pissed that Nnoitra is dead. I wanted to take his head off."

Ulquiorra began to walk away, not interested in having a conversation with Grimmjow.

"What! For god's sake," Grimmjow growled. "Here, I was going to bother doing you a favor!"

"What?" Ulquiorra paused.

"I just thought you'd want to know that crazy ol' Szayel's placed some kind of magic lock on your play pet's little house," Grimmjow said.

"What do you mean?" Ulquiorra asked, his blank face not revealing the alarm he felt inside.

"He's locked the passageway between the door and the cottage. No one can get in and out. At least that's what I heard," Grimmjow said with a smirk, laying back down. "Don't bother thanking me!"

Ulquiorra disappeared in a flash.

* * *

Thank you for reading everyone! I know it took a while for me to post this, it's a busy time for this phd student. I had mentioned that I'd be sharing a painting I did and it is posted on my profile! Please review? It makes my heart happy. :)

Also, one more thing: At the beginning of each chapter I post a song that I like that has lyrics that go with the chapter. Now, I am guilty of often skipping through these introductory sections when I read other people's stories, and it was only until I started writing that I realized the time it takes to really think about what is happening in the chapter and what song/poem/whatever might go best with it. So I hope you guys read the song lyrics in the introduction to the chapters, and I vow to read the intro songs/poems/etc of the stories I love and am following. Feel free to look the song up on youtube. I hope you enjoy the song recommendations that go with each chapter.


	7. Chapter 6: I Need You So Much Closer

Welcome back. Thank you all so much for being patient and waiting for this update. I know it has been a while but I have good reasons for my delay: 1. midterms and prelims for a phd student are grueling 2. i wanted to do some paintings which are available on my deviant page, link is on my profile 3. i had this other story stuck in my head forever and had to get it out. It's called A Leap of Faith and it's very different from this story, but it's still Ulquihime so I hope you check it out and let me know how you like it. I will still be working on this one as well. I have taken some reviewer's advice and tried to make this chapter longer. I hope you enjoy it and leave me some feedback. Thanks!

* * *

Chapter 6: I Need You So Much Closer

_The Atlantic was born today, and I'll tell you how:  
The clouds above opened up and let it out._

_I was standing on the surface of a perforated sphere  
When the water filled every hole.  
And thousands upon thousands made an ocean,  
Making islands where no island should go._

_Most people were overjoyed; they took to their boats.  
I thought it less like a lake and more like a moat.  
The rhythm of my footsteps crossing floodlands to your door  
Have been silenced forever more.  
The distance is quite simply much too far for me to row  
It seems farther than ever before  
Oh no._

_**I need you so much closer**_

_**-transatlanticism by death cab for cutie **_

Starrk jumped up out of slumber with a startle. Despite his enhanced hierro, his skin was tingling for some reason. Maybe it was from sleeping awkwardly or…maybe from the dream he had just been in? Starrk took a deep breath, exhaling noisily and rubbing his eyes with frustration. What exactly had he been dreaming about anyways? Rubbing his forehead with a frown, he struggled to remember the haze of a dream he'd been having. There had been a patch of short blonde hair, a girl's giggling, a playful shove, but he never got to see the face. He didn't need to see the face though to know who it was. Sitting up and pulling his knees to his chest, Starrk's melancholy eyes focused on the empty room he was in. In a distance a loud rumbling could be heard.

"Why is everyone being so loud," Starrk grumbled, plopping back down, and turning over on his futon. "I'm trying to sleep." He buried his face in his pillow, allowing himself to suffocate through the pillow for a few moments. The restriction of oxygen to his lungs made glowing stars appear in front of his closed eyes. All he wanted to do was sleep. He wanted to sleep for the rest of his life. He wanted to sleep until everything that happened during the last battle could be forgotten. Starrk rolled over and stared up at the ceiling for a moment before closing his eyes. Another loud rumbling could be heard at a distance, this time sounding a bit closer than before. Starrk chose to ignore it, closing his mind to his surroundings.

Despite not wanting to, the memory of his last battle with Shunsui Kyōraku surfaced. He saw the end of the fight when Lilynette disappeared after Shunsui used his Bushōgoma. He remembered the panic he felt when Lilynette no longer answered to his call. And he remembered the feeling of helplessness he felt when he realized he was alone. Another loud rumbling came, this time sounding like it was above him. Starrk moaned with resigned annoyance. All he wanted was to sleep, but it seemed like the noise wasn't going away.

"I just want to sleep," He muttered out loud to himself. To Starrk, being awake meant being aware of the fact that he was once again alone. He had joined Aizen's army so that he and Lilynette didn't have to be alone anymore. Starrk was surprised to find comfort after he had arrived at Las Noches and settled in. The other members of the Espada tended to keep to themselves, but it was a comfort to know he wasn't alone anymore. He not only had comrades who were as strong as he was, but he also had a leader who was actually stronger than him.

Now everything had changed. That last battled played over in Starrk's mind like a stack of cards crumbling after someone had tipped over one of the bottom cards. Harribel, Baraggan, and Starrk had barely gotten away toward the end of the battle. Aizen did not bother to help them even when it was clear that they were losing and he did not help them escape. Each of the top three Espada were affected by that last battle in their own way. Baraggan's indignant anger at his fraccion for being not strong enough to survive belied his embarrassment; but for the former King of Hueco Mundo who was used to having countless servants, he was not affected in any other way. Harribel's genuine pain at losing her fraccion was evident, but what she experienced was nothing even remotely close to what Starrk had felt when he lost Lilynette. Lilynette had been the other part of his soul, and now with her gone he felt incomplete. _I should have died too. Why didn't I also die? What's the point of me being here now that she's gone?_ Starrk wondered to himself. The absence of Lilynette made him feel more empty and lonely than he had ever remembered feeling. With half of his soul gone, Starrk was significantly less powerful. _This is what you wanted, to be weak._ Starrk unhappily reminded himself. _You became weaker, but you lost her._

Upon their return to Las Noches, it was evident that their defeat had taken place both on Earth and in Hueco Mundo. Several of the arrancars and even some of the Espada had been defeated; Aaroniero Arruruerie, Zommari Rureaux, and Nnoitra Gilga were now gone. Aizen didn't seem to care anymore about any of their fallen comrades. Now, it seemed Aizen had practically abandoned the arrancars. Starrk didn't need to be out and about in Las Noches to see it. He could sense it: everyone was leaving or killing each other. Arrancars were fighting each other for power. No one cared about each other anymore. Las Noches had devolved into the chaos had always seemed separate from Starrk due to his immense power.

A loud rumble came from directly above Starrk's ceiling, this time it was so strong that it shook the entire room. Before Starrk could even look up, the ceiling caved with pieces of rubble and stone falling on top of Starrk. Among the dust and debris, a bright flash of green hair flew down landing directly on top of Starrk.

"Ow!" Both Starrk and Nelliel screamed as she rammed into him.

"What the…" Starrk said startled_. Who is she?_ Starrk remembered the familiar face but did not know her very well. She had not been an Espada while he had been an Espada. Had she maybe been one before he came? Maybe she was one of Baraggan's many fraccion? _She looks strong_, he observed.

Nel laid on top of directly on top of Starrk, her chest, stomach and legs flush against Starrk's body. Her hands rested on either side of Starrk's head, giving their faces the space to see each other. He had never been so close with another female arrancar before. The only physical contact other than fighting of another arrancar was when he and Lilynette were teasing each other or swapping at each other.

"That hurt…" Nel whimpered in her high feminine voice. She shook the dust and debris from her hair, most of it landing on top of Starrk who laid beneath her. Starrk narrowed his eyes in annoyance and the air shook with his reiatsu. Looking at up quickly at his irritated silent growl, Nel's eyes widened with surprise more than alarm. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't know you were down here." The green-haired beauty scrambled away from Starrk to the edge of the futon, both of the Espada staring at each other. Starrk sat up staring at the girl curiously now.

Nel looked up at the hole in Starrk's ceiling, "I was fighting this really annoying arrancar," she explained. "He just wouldn't leave me alone! But I think I got him finally." Nel took a deep breath. Havoc and chaos had been going on nonstop since Nel had run into Harribel. There was no way she could save Orihime or get to Ichigo who was currently being guarded by her fraccion at the rate she was going.

"Mmm…" Starrk grunted in acknowledge. "It's alright. It's not like I was getting any sleep anyways with all the noise happening around here," Starrk grumbled.

"Oh! Were you trying to sleep?" Nel said, instantly looking apologetic. Starrk stared distractedly at her pouting lips before blinking quickly and waving dismissively.

"I said it's alright." He replied quickly. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, and since it seemed like the woman wasn't going to get off his bed, Starrk stood up and took a few steps away. Nel watched him get up, as she registered who he was. He was Coyote Starrk, the Primera Espada, but…where was his other half? Nel had heard of his massive strength, but had never been in his presence. His physical body and reiatsu, despite his calmly suppressing it, were indeed formidable. He had a handsome face and piercing intense eyes. Ulquiorra was a child compared to this man. Nel blushed having that thought.

Starrk looked up at the ceiling, feeling uncomfortable with this woman's staring contest. He could hear the invisible clock that was ticking away in his head as this woman continued to just stare at him. Finally out of annoyance he looked back down at her. "What are you doing here? Don't you have somewhere better to be?" Starrk gently asked, hoping she would get the hint. How was he supposed to try to get a nap in when she was in his bed?

"Yes, I do! Sorry, it's just…" Nel moved like she was going to get out of his bed, but paused when she looked contemplatively at him, "You look familiar, but I don't know who you are."

"I'm Starrk, the Primera Espada," He said, confirming Nel's suspicions.

"I've heard a lot about you," She said smiling with interest. Starrk did not look impressed.

"So?" He replied, eyeing the half of the futon that was not being occupied by the green-haired girl.

"Nothing…just I've heard a lot about you, about how strong you are. You look even stronger in person," She gushed uncontrollably, before realizing how she must sound and silently reprimanding herself. _You sound like a dumb little girl right now!_

"I'm not that strong," Starrk muttered, walking back to his side of the futon and laying down, resting his hands beneath his head and staring up the hole in his ceiling. Clearly the girl wasn't going to be budging anytime soon and Starrk's preferable state of being was horizontal on a bed.

"Why do you say that?" Nel asked from her seated position on the other half of the futon. Starrk didn't answer the question. Lilynette flashed in his mind, but as soon as he thought of her, the green-haired girl interrupted his thoughts. "Where's that little girl that you're usually with?"

"She died," Starrk said, his deadpan face revealing nothing.

"I'm sorry," Nel said softly, feeling a great rush of sadness for the male Espada. Starrk could feel the empathy oozing out of the girl and he didn't want it.

"It doesn't matter," Starrk lied.

"I know what it's like when someone hurts the people you love," Nel explained.

"I said it doesn't matter," Starrk repeated.

"But-"

"I said it doesn't matter," Starrk said, his voice the slightest bit firmer. Another loud rumbling could be heard at a distance, the noise distracting both of the Espada for a moment. Each of the Espada listened closely, trying to determine the level of threat the noise made. After a quiet pause, Nel returned her attention to Starrk.

"Things have been so chaotic lately," Nel said with worry. "It's like Aizen doesn't care anymore."

"He doesn't care. There's nothing we can do about it," Starrk said. "When Aizen arrived in Hueco Mundo and built this new Las Noches, he created a type of order that went against the very nature of Hueco Mundo's chaos. It was inevitable that things would return to the way they were." The resignation in Starrk's voice rang loud and true in Nel's mind. It was a truth that quietly terrified her. Unlike some other arrancars, she had very little memory of her life before becoming an arrancar and then eventually an Espada. She had met her fraccion after she had become an Espada- Pesche and Dondochakka chose to serve her out of pure admiration and respect. Most of her memories were of her time here in Las Noches with Pesche and Dondochakka, serving Aizen.

"I don't have a lot of memories of what things were like before," Nel said softly, looking down at her hands. Starrk eyed the girl curiously, assessing her. She was scared, but didn't show it. She fought her fear of the unknown with as much courage as she had.

"There's not much to remember." Starrk said, trying in his own way to console her. "There's nothing we can do about what's happening now and there's not much we can do about what's going to happen."

"Is that your philosophy in life?"

"I suppose it is now," Starrk said feeling depressed. Nel laid down on her side on the futon, facing Starrk. She propped up an arm while looking down at him.

"That's a very sad philosophy if you ask me," She said.

"Did I ask you?" He replied calmly, trying to suppress his annoyance that she seemed to be making herself more comfortable on his futon.

"No, I guess you didn't," Nel replied. "We still have control over some things. We can still control how we feel and the things we can do now." When Starrk didn't reply except to close his eyes, Nel took it as a cue that she could keep going. "Even if everyone around us doesn't seem to care about each other anymore, it doesn't mean we have to do the same. There are still people I care a great deal for and I'm going to keep fighting for them."

With his eyes closed, Starrk pondered Nel's words: they sounded like something Lilynette would have said to him- except maybe followed by a knock on the head. But Lilynette was gone now and he was only one half a soul and he had only half of his volition left.

"Maybe," Starrk said in reply, shifting to create some space between him and her.

"Is there anyone you still want to fight for?" Nel asked, unaffected by the close proximity between her and Starrk.

"Yes," Starrk said, reopening his eyes, but keeping them on the ceiling instead of looking at Nel. "Lilynette." He said simply. Nel assumed this must have the little girl who followed him around. Who was she? A daughter? A little sister? Maybe just a fraccion that he loved like a sister- just like how Nel loved her fraccion like they were her real brothers.

"You can still fight for her, even if she's gone." Nel said. "Fight for her honor. Fight for the integrity of what you guys had. Fight like she's still here."

"She's not here though," He pointed out.

"You know what I think?"

"No, but I'm guessing you're going to tell me anyways?"

"I think she's still with you and that she'll always be with you." Nel said, her soft gaze finally meeting with Starrk's blue-grey eyes.

"I don't think you get it," Starrk explained. "Lilynette and I…we were one in the same. She was the other half of my soul."

Nel thought to herself_, the other half of his soul is missing?_ _No wonder why he's so sad and depressed…He's right, maybe I don't know what he is feeling. But…_

"If she was the other half of your soul, then that means she's still alive." Nel pointed out.

"How is that?" He asked skeptically.

"If she's the other half of your soul and her physical body was destroyed, her half of the soul probably returned to you. She may not exist to talk to you or be around you, but she's in you." Nel said.

Nel's words hung heavily in Starrk's mind. He knit his eyebrows together in consternation. Could it be possible? Starrk lifted up a hand and placed it on his chest, as if trying to physically feel if she was inside him.

"I want to believe that," He said quietly, but he couldn't believe it. He couldn't convince himself of it when he was feeling so empty and alone. If she was still part of him, he wouldn't be feeling so incomplete. He wouldn't be feeling this lonely. Nel lifted her hand that wasn't propping herself up and placed it over Starrk's hand that was resting on his chest. When Starrk looked up into Nel's hazel eyes with surprise; Nel gave him a reassuring smile.

"It will take some time to feel whole again," She said, yawning and feeling tired. Starrk focused on Nel's face for a moment; Nel could tell that he was trying to read her. Her hazel eyes gazed confidently and warmly back at him. The hand that was over his was small, delicate, but it exuded a quiet strength that surprised him. Starrk wasn't sure why, but he felt comforted.

"Okay…" He said reluctantly in response. _Only time can tell, _he thought to himself, _if you're still in there Lilynette, don't go. Please don't leave me alone again. I can't be alone again._

Nel took the quiet pause in their conversation to fully assess Starrk. He was older than her by an inconceivable amount of years, but his dark brown hair did not have any greys and his body was still firm and strong. His face had sharp angles with piercing deep set blue-grey eyes and a natural frowning expression, much like Ichigo's face. He could be scary if he wanted to be, easily, but he didn't come off as scary at all.

Nel could see the muscle in his arm that still laid behind his head lazily. She noticed the strength in his hand that rested on his chest. Nel felt a sudden impulse to run her hands over his muscular chest and down his strong arms. Her heart beat quickened at the thought and she felt a rush of blood to cheeks and stomach. Her breathing slowed, as she took a long breath in an attempt to calm herself. She could feel the warmth of his skin beneath her hand, and her fingers itched, wanting to intertwine themselves with his fingers.

Nel's reactions did not go unnoticed by Starrk. Indeed, he was an incredibly observant man, and her slowed breathing and blush did not escape him. He felt her hand that laid over his twitch, but he only continued to gaze back at her curiously. She was so young, he could practically feel her youth through her eager strength. She was easy on the eyes as well, with large bright hazel eyes, a delicate nose, and pouty lips. The crimson strip across her nose and cheeks highlighted her nose and cheekbones. She was kind of cute, he thought, …in a childish way, of course.

Looking away from him finally, a wall of exhaustion finally hit Nel. She hadn't noticed up until now how tired she was, but she had been up for several days and had been working nonstop to save Ichigo, move him to a secure and safe location, and gather intel on how to best get to Orihime and escape with her. Along the way, she had met several hostile arrancars who stood in her way, either on Aizen's behalf or for their own benefit. Nel had fought tirelessly, driven by adrenaline, but now she was laying on a soft warm futon. She had been laying there for quite some time while she and Starrk had been talking, and now that her body had adjusted to laying on the debris covered bed, she was feeling warm and comfortable. It didn't help that Starrk's reiatsu was strong and warm in a most pleasant way. Nel's eyes involuntarily closed and with a blank mind, her head swayed ever so slightly as fatigue fought consciousness.

"Are you okay?" Starrk asked, frowning. Forcing her eyes to open, only to feel them get heavy again, Nel fought to keep herself focused- it was difficult however.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so…tired…would you mind if I just…" Nel said tiredly as she finally left go of the arm that had been propping her head up. Her head fell the short distance onto the soft pillow, and her eyes closed. "Would you mind if I just rested here for a little bit? I haven't slept in so long and I've been fighting almost nonstop."

Starrk looked at her, surprised at her request and uncertain of how to respond. He had slept side by side with Lilynette countless times, but a quick glance over Nel's luscious curvy body told him that sleeping next to this girl would be quite different. She was already breathing steadily, the soft inhaling and exhaling telling him that she was on her way to fully being asleep. He couldn't tell her to leave; she just looked so pathetic laying there in exhaustion. At the same time, he felt incredibly awkward about having her in his bed, but where else could he go if she took up residence in his bed. A quick survey of the cold hard floor discouraged Starrk, and the loud rumbling of a growing war nearby meant that things could only get louder if he moved else where. With a loud resigned sigh, he pushed her hand off his and closed his eyes, prepared to go to sleep. It wouldn't be too weird, as long as they stayed on their own sides, not touching. He would pretend she wasn't even there. Sure, he would have less rolling-around space, but he just didn't have the heart to make her move.

* * *

Ulquiorra walked down a long empty hallway flanked on either side by tall white columns. The floor of the hallway was so clean and polished that he could see his fuzzy reflection in it. His fisted hands were in his pockets, and his face was set in a scowl. Never before had Ulquiorra experienced such a feeling of…what was this feeling? ….impatience; surely he was just feeling very impatient. Yet, impatience didn't explain the bubbling feeling of anxiety Ulquiorra felt in the pit of his stomach. He had tried to get to the island Orihime was being held at, but Grimmjow hadn't been lying when he said the door there had been completely sealed. He had no choice but to go see the little pink-haired scientist.

When he found the laboratory door, Ulquiorra purposefully opened and walked into the antechamber. The dividing wall between the antechamber and the main control room had a large window made out of a thick panel of glass. Ulquiorra stood there for a moment, staring through the thick-glassed window at the pink-haired scientist who sat inside the control room taking notes as scribbles of data scrolled down a computer screen monitor. He waited for the scientist to take notice of his presence, but Szayel continued about his business as if he had not heard Ulquiorra enter the lab or hadn't felt Ulquiorra's reiatsu flaring dangerously.

When Ulquiorra could wait no longer, he raised a hand and fired a booming green cero at the glass window. The explosion not only smashed the glass of the window, it put a huge hole in the wall between the antechamber and the control room. The cero sliced past Szayel's head, missing his skull by mere inches and cutting off a good chunk of his pink hair before crashing into the opposing wall with a loud boom. Dust and rubble flew everywhere, and the control room began to fill with smoke as the cero had disturbed several important wirings in the wall. Szayel choked and coughed at all the dust and debris in the air. He stood up, waving a hand in front of him to clear the air as he stumbled over to where Ulquiorra stood safely in the antechamber.

"Was that really necessary?" Szayel asked coughing and hacking. Ulquiorra didn't respond; he merely glared at the scientist and stood as still as a statue. When Ulquiorra didn't say anything back to him, Szayel stood up straight with a smile. He brushed the remaining dust off his shoulders, and noticed the missing patch of pink hair with a scowl. He shook his head and returned his attention to Ulquiorra.

"I know why you are here. I've been waiting for you in fact," The scientist said gleefully. Ulquiorra grabbed Szayel's throat so fast he barely had time to blink and before he even registered what was going on, Ulquiorra had slammed his head into the remaining wall. Szayel squinted and grimaced in pain. "Ow," was all Szayel could choke up. His face turned bright red and Ulquiorra took this as a cue to slam the pink-haired scientist's head against the wall again.

"Okay, okay! Stop it, if you completely turn my brains into smashed macaroni you will never find out how to rescue your pretty little princess," Szayel managed to grind out as his ears rung from being slammed against the wall. Ulquiorra let go of the scientist's neck, and he fell to the floor coughing, gasping for air, and clutching his sore and nearly broken neck. Ulquiorra's face was frozen with disgust as he waited for an explanation. Szayel was still recovering, gasping for air and coughing.

"I do not have all day, Granz," Ulquiorra prompted while the pink-haired scientist took his time to recover. Szayel sat up from being curled over on the floor; taking a deep breath, he leaned his back against the wall and looked up at Ulquiorra.

"A trade: the shinigami-human's body for your princess."

"What?"

"You heard me. That little bitch Nelliel took something from me and I want it back," Szayel said. His gold eyes glinted with anger. "Bring me the orange-haired shinigami-human and you can have your princess back."

Ulquiorra didn't respond right away to Szayel. He stood there silently, having returned his hands to his pockets, and thought over the compromise. Ulquiorra didn't want to get involved with whatever scheme Nelliel was concocting, but his choices were limited at the moment. He weighed the amount of impatience he felt in regards to getting Orihime back against the trouble it would take to get Ichigo back to Szayel. There _must be another way…Gin? What about Gin?_ Ulquiorra exhaled loudly, clearly annoyed as he began to pace the length of the small antechamber.

"I don't understand why you're hesitating. You don't give a rat's ass about that shinigami-human boy and you're clearly are smitten with the girl. This is a win-win situation for both of us," Szayel said. Ulquiorra glared at the pink-haired Espada. He walked over to where Szayel sat on the floor and rammed his foot down against Szayel's stomach. Szayel doubled over onto the floor in pain from the kick. The pink-haired scientist felt his stomach contract painfully as he choked up red blood.

"I will consider it. Do not think to ever play me like this again. You will not live to see any of your experiments finish," Ulquiorra warned.

"Hey, think of it this way…" Szayel said, as he continued to cough up blood. "Your princess is safe. No one is going to be able to get to her and she isn't going to be able to go anywhere. She'll be waiting for you as soon as you bring me the shinigami."

Ulquiorra didn't respond. Instead he merely turned around and walked out of Szayel's lab. The scientist breathed a loud raspy sound of relief when the fourth Espada left. He could hear the loud echoes of Ulquiorra's footsteps as he walked down the hall. There, in a pile of rubble and his own blood, Szayel felt a bubbling of laughter come up through his mouth. He laughed and laughed. His laughter was hitch-pitched, maniacal, and filled with glee. There was nothing he enjoyed more than playing with simpletons.

* * *

When Nel woke up, she felt deliciously relaxed, warm, and comfortable. She laid on a soft futon and somebody had put a blanket on her. Rolling over from sleeping on her belly, she yawned loudly before sluggishly sitting up in the bed.

"You are a horrible bed partner," A low masculine voice came from across the room. Nel almost jumped in the bed before she realized it was just Starrk.

"Oh! You nearly scared me to death," She said as she began to fluff her bright green hair.

"You snore," Starrk said, glaring at her. "You snore very loudly AND you talk in your sleep."

Nel giggled, "Yes, Pesche and Dondochakka always complained about that too." When she saw the annoyed look on Starrk's face, she cleared her throat and averted her eyes. "I'm sorry for imposing on you like this. It was incredibly rude of me. Thank you for letting me sleep here. Your bed was so comfortable and it was safe here. I wouldn't have been able to rest anywhere else without being worried about getting attacked suddenly." Starrk closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Mmm, it's nothing. Now, if you'd give me back my bed and get on your way…" He muttered.

"Actually…I had this dream. It was so strange..."

"Oh?" Starrk raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Yes, my friend Orihime, you must know her right?" Nel said, crossing her legs on the bed. Starrk rolled his eyes to the left trying to remember. He looked confused for a moment before a spark came to his slate-blue eyes and he nodded. "Well she's got some special powers. I can't promise but, I think it might be possible that she may be able to help you get Lilynette back."

Starrk raised both eyebrows now as he walked over to his bed and sat down next to the green-haired girl. He looked thoughtful for a moment, scratching his goatee. He vaguely remembered the orange-haired girl that Ulquiorra had kidnapped and brought back. All the chaos that ensued was about her, and it had annoyed the hell out of him because it had caused loud fights that disturbed his sleep. But, he did remember her demonstrating her powers before Aizen and the short explanation that Aizen gave everyone. _Could it be possible? Lilynette…_

"I mean, I can't promise anything. I have no idea if it would work, but it would definitely be worth a try right?"

"Mmm, maybe," Starrk said, still deep in thought.

"What else are you going to do? Just sleep here all day and all night? That's not going to bring her back."

"I know that," Starrk snapped. He looked at the girl suspiciously for a moment. Starrk may have been a lazy man, but he was also perceptive; and he could tell that this girl had more plans up her sleeve than she was letting on. "So, what do you want to do?" He asked hesitantly.

"Well, first off, we have to go get Orihime…and I'm not gonna lie…that might not be an easy task," Nel said as she looked down at her hands. Her pink lips pouted as she thought about how she had tried to get to Orihime's island only to find the door completely sealed off.

"Isn't she just in her prison? You can just walk in and take her; no one is going to stop you."

"No, it's not that easy. Ulquiorra moved her to this other room that belonged to Gin. It's only got one passageway and….well it's a long story but Szayel ended up sealing it and now there's no way of getting to her."

"Why don't you just use your cero and break down the door? Or put a hole through the wall and just walk in?"

"It's really not that simple," Nel said glaring up at him. What did he think she was? Stupid? She had thought all of this through already and if it were as simple as the man was implying, she would have rescued Orihime and would have had her and Ichigo out of Las Noches by now. "The room she was put in is special. When you are there, it's an illusion of being in a cottage on an island completely surrounded by water. From the outside it just looks like any other Espada quarters. Breaking down a wall wouldn't get you to the island. I haven't quite figured out how it works."

"Wouldn't Granz know?"

"Of course he knows. He's the one that put the seal on the door."

"Why did he do that?"

"Because…." Nel sighed out of frustration. This seemed to be going nowhere. Obviously the man didn't want to help. "Because I stole Ichigo from his lab and now he's mad and probably wants Ichigo back, but I'm not giving Ichigo back and so I have to figure out another way of getting in. It's okay, don't bother helping. I can figure this out on my own." Nel hopped off the bed and readjusted her uniform.

"Woah, I haven't said anything about wanting to help or not wanting to help, woman. Geeze, settle down," Starrk said scowling. He had forgotten how temperamental the fairer sex could be. Nel looked back at Starrk with a scowl. "What do you want from me?"

"I don't want anything. I was only suggesting that if Orihime were around she might be able to help you get Lilynette back," Nel said in a huff.

"But you're implying that if I want that girl to help me get Lilynette back, then I need to help you get her off this magical non-existent island," Starrk said. Nel crossed her arms and turned her back on him without saying a word. Starrk sighed loudly. This was getting particularly ridiculous. "If you want me to help you, why don't you just ask straight out."

"Are you going to say yes?" Nel asked quietly as she looked at him from over her shoulder. She batted her eyelashes at him for an extra effect. Starrk only rolled his eyes at her.

"Alright, I'll help you get your friend back," Starrk said. "Things were starting to get boring around here anyways."

"YAY!" Nel suddenly cheered loudly as she leaped at Starrk on the bed. He moved just fast enough for her to land next to him on the bed as opposed to being in his lap. Despite this though, she still managed to swing her arms around his neck in a tight bear hug.

"Ahhhh, get off me woman!" He cried out, trying to pry her arms from his neck.

* * *

Ulquiorra found Gin in his usual control room looking bored out of his mind as images of fighting arrancars flickered from one screen to the next. Gin rested his chin on his hand as he propped his head up on the ledge of the control panel. When Ulquiorra entered, Gin greeted him with a slow grin.

"Why hello my dear boy, how may I help you today?"

"I've come to inform you that the number eight Espada Szayel Aporro Granz has tampered with your private quarters," Ulquiorra said, standing in the doorway. The light from the hallway framed his silhouette; he appeared stiff and rigid with a mix of gritty unhappiness. Gin found him to be incredibly interesting when he was in a foul mood.

"Oh?" Gin said. "So…?" Ulquiorra blinked, confused at Gin's lack of reaction. He shouldn't have been surprised though. There was nothing consistent about the shinigami's behavior. He was as unpredictable and as he was annoying.

"That-…..That does not bother you?" Ulquiorra asked hesitantly.

"My dear Ulquiorra, I own and you rent," Gin said. When Ulquiorra's emotionless face barely blink, Gin shook his head. _Boy, does this guy have the emotional IQ of a gnat_, he thought to himself. "Mi casa is not your home. You are merely renting it from me at the moment. If there are damages to my home, you will pay a fee. But otherwise, as long as everything appears as it was before you dumped your princess there, I don't give a shit." Gin felt gleeful. He loved watching Ulquiorra squirm. He didn't know what Granz had done to piss off Ulquiorra, but it was incredibly entertaining to watch. "Now, was that all? Or did you want to have tea with me too?"

Ulquiorra turned around and walked away calmly. The clicking of his boots against the marble floor could be heard for several minutes as they slowly disappeared, leaving only echoes. Gin sighed, smiling to himself as he leaned back in his chair and spun himself around in a circle. _That poor boy_, Gin thought to himself.


End file.
